This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 794 How to Wish Someone Well in a Greeting Card in English.
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What is one phrase that we don't use conversationally, but we do use when we want to send someone our best wishes in a card or even in a song?
Find out today.
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Hey, Michelle, how you doing?
Hey, Lindsay, I'm good.
How are you?
Well, today I'm probably tired, but a good kind of tired, because even though we're recording this on August 2nd, this actually is coming out Monday, August 21st, which is just after what.
Yeah, it's after our Boston weekend.
Yeah.
Boston adventure.
I know.
So, assuming that everything went according to plan, you know, we should have finished up our first event last night with a barbecue, you know, and
Guys, our plan is to run this adventure again, you know, for another group of lucky listeners.
So you can get on that list to be the first to hear if you go to allearsenglishcom forward slash Boston okay.
So Michelle, what's on your plate for this week?
What's on your agenda?
Oh, that's on my agenda.
Oh, you know, going teaching classes.
I got some meetings and still getting adjusted to the new apartment.
Got to fix some stuff up.
But yeah, how about you?
Well, I'm actually going to get a little California sunshine this week.
I'm looking forward to it.
I'm going to a conference for podcasters actually this week.
Oh, Oh, that's cool.
Yeah.
You don't think it's nerdy?
No, I think it's cool because I'm a podcaster.
Yeah, yeah.
I'm looking forward to it.
I think it'll be nice to get on a plane, see something different and meet a bunch of very cool podcasters.
Very cool.
Very cool.
Yeah.
Okay.
Have fun.
I'm looking forward to hearing about it.
All right.
Very cool.
So what are we talking about today, Michelle?
Okay, so today we have a question about wishing someone well.
Yeah, exactly.
So we're saying something that indicates that we want someone to succeed in some way, right?
And is this kind of, what is this?
Is this like objective?
Is this sentimental?
What is this when you hear a phrase like Wishing someone well.
Yeah, it's somewhat sentimental, I think, don't you?
I think so, for sure.
So why don't we jump into the question from Ana Paula?
Okay.
All right.
Okay.
All right, here we go.
Hi, guys, Lindsay, Michelle and Jessica, you're amazing.
I have listened to your podcast for a little over a year and it has been very useful.
My understanding of what I hear is much better and my concern with my mistakes, fears and perfectionism has diminished.
Thanks to you and congratulations on your work.
Thank you.
Wow, that's so cool.
That's so cool.
Wow, that makes the work worth it, right?
For sure.
Oh, yeah.
This is why we do what we do, right, Lindsay?
Exactly.
Yes.
Okay.
I have a question about the verb may.
I do meditation and use an app called Calm.
During one of the guidelines, they say phrases such as may all beings be happy, may all beings be healthy, may all beings be safe and free from danger.
I learned that when we start a sentence with a verb, the phrase is usually interrogated.
Oh my gosh, I'm sleeping today.
My brain isn't working.
But I think these sentences are affirmative.
The sense seems to be of affirmation for me.
Please, can you explain it better?
I know these... Oh, yeah.
That's my notes.
That's okay, Michelle.
It's okay.
Take a breather.
Take a breather.
It sounds like I need to do a meditation so I can read.
Well, you can download this app, Calm.
I like the idea that meditation is becoming more accessible to people through these apps.
I am a little skeptical of...
You know, when we have a phone in our hand, how close are we to checking our email, right?
Or getting a text if we're trying to meditate.
But if it makes it more accessible, that's great.
Right, right.
I know these apps are pretty popular.
Yeah, yeah.
So these phrases, I know these phrases actually from my own Buddhist practice.
These phrases are quite famous as part of Buddhist study in India history and the philosophy.
But michelle, i mean, have you heard any of these phrases, like at a yoga class or something?
Maybe at the end yeah, i've heard.
I've heard similar things yeah, and i've done meditation classes as well.
So um, i may not have heard these ones exactly, i'm not sure, but i it sounds like very familiar and very calming even just to read them.
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
So Anna is right here, right?
So the word may, you know, it's often used as a play request.
Like a kid might say what to their mom, Michelle?
May I have seconds, please?
Yeah, I used to say that all the time.
Or may I have dessert, right?
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
But that's not the only way that it's used, right?
So we want to show you guys, you know again how to be creative and be dynamic with your language and to connect with people.
So...
Once in a while, not very much, but once in a while.
You might want to use this may in a guys.
Thanks for listening to the podcast today.
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Thanks for listening, Exactly.
Not very, very often.
So let's move down in the notes here.
And so what are some other times Michelle, where we might use, may like in this way, like may you be happy.
May you be peaceful?
What's another kind of scenario?
Hmm.
Yeah, well, I would say at a wedding, right?
So if you're writing a card to the couple so you could say like may this special day bring you memories for years to come, right?
Sounds very Hallmark.
Yes, it does.
Yeah, exactly.
So you go into like a Walgreens, you go to the card section, you see this all the time everywhere.
And then another thing we place we might see it would be like in a graduation speech, like, hmm.
The final line, like, may you find your purpose or may you always know the value of hard work.
I could imagine that you know, or maybe a card your parents would give you at graduation, something like that.
Yeah.
True, true.
So again, sentimental, cards, greeting cards, weddings, graduations, songs too, right?
Yeah right right, yeah.
Is there a song that you can think of that has this?
Yeah well, i don't know the guy, i don't know the singer.
I just googled like may you in songs and i found these lyrics.
So we're not going to sing them.
But his lyrics, bobby vinton.
He says may you always walk in sunshine.
What's the next lyric?
Michelle Slumber warm when night winds blow.
May you always live with laughter.
For a smile becomes you so.
Interesting.
Sounds like very rhythmic and rhyming and kind of nice, right?
Yeah.
Okay, we'll take it.
We'll take it.
So that's another good example, guys.
So really, you know, songs, cards, that kind of thing, right?
Right, exactly.
Yeah, but do we use it in everyday speech?
No, I mean, it may be a hit may.
I just said it.
Yeah, it may.
No, go ahead.
Right.
It may be appropriate in some scenarios, but usually just like instead of saying, may I do this?
Even though that's correct, a lot of times people just say, can I?
Yeah, exactly.
So using that other in that other way that we talked about with children asking like to do something with that, like can or could.
Those are better things.
But even though technically may is it may be may be correct.
Right, but even like, in this way of like wishing someone, like placing wishes on someone, I still wouldn't use
No.
It's just kind of weird because it's sentiment.
It's better written, you know, written or being sung in a song, right?
Yeah, yeah.
I don't, I can't.
Like, oh, may you have a happy birthday.
Yeah, I know.
It's just strange.
Yeah.
I mean, even if, like your roommate, has an exam coming up, would you say like, may you pass your exam?
No, no way.
Strange, right?
Maybe jokingly you might say it, but I don't think so.
I don't think so.
I don't even think so.
Yeah, I don't think so.
So what could you say instead?
If you want to yeah, for example to your roommate, if you do want to wish them good luck, what would you say?
Yeah.
I mean, you could say like, I wish you the best on your exam.
Or I'm pulling for you on that exam.
Oh, yeah.
I'm pulling for you.
Yeah.
Or you could say, knock them dead on that exam.
Yeah.
Or hey, best of luck on that exam, right?
Yeah.
So guys, there are other ways.
So today's point guys, the takeaway is you want to know that this may you, may you be happy, may you be free, may you be successful is used in sentimental places weddings, greeting cards, songs but not really in spoken conversational English.
Okay.
That's the point.
Right.
Right, right.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, Michelle, where can our listeners go if they're taking the IELTS exam?
Well, you should go to IELTS Energy and subscribe to the podcast.
Yeah.
We'll get you motivated, get you guys ready for that exam.
Very cool.
So if anybody has follow-up questions guys, come back to 794 on our blog, allearsenglishcom.
Type in your question.
I hope we answered our question for Anna today.
All right.
Yeah, it was a good question.
Thank you for asking it.
And yeah, very, very interesting topic.
Very cool.
All right.
We're out of here for today's short one, but we'll be back soon.
All right.
Bye, guys.
Bye, Lindsay.
Bye.
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