In this mini episode, you will learn the common phrase “can’t stand.”
Episode 336 of the Everybody ESL podcast is a mini episode that teaches you the common phrase “can’t stand.” Send your questions about English and your comments and suggestions to EverybodyESL@gmail.com! (And let me know if you’d like to record the introduction to a future episode.)
Intro
“Hello. This is Basmah, from Saudi Arabia. And you are listening to Everybody ESL.”
Welcome to episode 336 of Everybody ESL, the podcast for everybody who wants to improve their English, practice their English, or just learn more English. My name is Ben, and I have a mini episode for you today, where I am going to teach you about one English topic. You can subscribe to the Everybody ESL podcast at Apple podcasts and wherever you find your podcasts. If you like Everybody ESL, leave it a good review so other people can find out about it too. And if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for me, please send an email to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. Okay! Let’s get on with this mini episode.
The episode
In this episode, I am going to teach you a very common and useful phrase. And that phrase is “can’t stand.” Can’t stand.
That’s c-a-n-apostrophe-t, s-t-a-n-d. Can’t stand.
What does it mean if we say that we can’t stand something?
When we say that we can’t stand something, we mean that we really, really do not like that thing. We hate that thing. What we are saying is we cannot tolerate it. We cannot endure it.
I’m not sure if this is really where the expression comes from, but it is like you’re saying, “This thing is so bad that I cannot even remain standing. I cannot even remain standing up. I do not have the strength to continue standing. That is how much I hate this thing. It is so awful to me. I cannot bear it. I cannot endure it. I cannot tolerate it. It is just so bad.”
You can use this expression, “can’t stand,” when you are talking about anything that you really dislike. It might be a thing, a person, a situation. It really could be anything.
Let me give you some examples of sentences that use the expression “can’t stand.”
“My friend can’t stand scary movies.” My friend can’t stand scary movies. In other words, my friend really, really dislikes scary movies. My friend cannot tolerate scary movies.
Or you could also say, “I really can’t stand cold weather.” I really can’t stand cold weather. I really dislike cold weather.
Or how about this one? “We can’t stand the new boss.” We can’t stand the new boss. He is just awful. We really don’t like the new boss. We can’t stand him.
In all of these cases, “can’t stand” means really, really dislikes, or even hates, or cannot tolerate. If this thing is happening, I just feel so bad and uncomfortable. I do not want it. I do not like it.
This is a very common phrase. I think you will hear this phrase very often in natural, casual conversation. And I think it is a very useful phrase that you should know.
Outro
This is the end of episode 336 of Everybody ESL. Remember: if you have questions about English, or if you have comments for me, or if you would like to record an introduction that I can play at the beginning of future episodes—the same way Basmah recorded the introduction you heard at the beginning of this episode—send an email to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. I’ll be back soon with a new episode. And until then, keep going, keep practicing, and keep learning. I’ll see you soon. Goodbye!