This mini episode teaches you the common expression “as we speak.”
Episode 174 of the Everybody ESL podcast is a mini episode that teaches you the common expression “as we speak.” What does it mean, and how can you use it? Send your questions about English and your suggestions for future episodes to EverybodyESL@gmail.com! (And let me know if you’d like to record the introduction to a future episode.)
The expression I'm going to teach you today is as we speak. As we speak. That's as: a-s. We: w-e. Speak: s-p-e-a-k. As we speak.
What does as we speak mean? As we speak is another way of saying, "Right now, at this exact moment, even at this exact time, even while you and I are talking to each other this other thing is happening.”
Let me give you an example of as we speak used in a sentence, and then I think you will understand it. Consider this situation: your friend's parents are going to be visiting, but you are not sure when your friend's parents will arrive. You ask your friend, “When are your parents scheduled to arrive? When will they be here?” And your friend says, “My parents are arriving very soon. In fact, I think their plane is landing as we speak.” I think their plane is landing as we speak.
In other words, I think their plane is arriving right now, at the exact same time that you and I are talking. It is really just another way of saying “Right now. At this exact moment. Even while you and I are talking, this other thing is happening.”
In our example, that would mean “Even while you and I are talking, my parents’ plane is landing. It is happening right now.”
Here are some other sentences that use the phrase as we speak:
I hope you're hungry because the pizza is cooking in the oven as we speak.
My son is studying for his exam as we speak.
I didn't forget to pick up the medicine. In fact, I'm on my way to the pharmacy as we speak.
In all of these examples, as we speak is just another way of saying “right now, at this exact moment.”
And that is as we speak—a very common expression that I think you should know.