When you need this

Sooner or later, someone asks you about a couple you both know. "Are Poppy and Rohan OK? They seemed tense at dinner." How you answer says a lot about you. Friends trust people who can talk about a marriage kindly, without turning it into gossip.

The trick is to describe, not judge. "They're going through a rough patch" is kind and vague on purpose. "They're working on it" tells people there's hope. If you know more than you should share, "It's not really my place to say" closes the door politely. People respect that line, even when they're disappointed.

Good news about a friend's marriage has its own phrases too: "They make a great couple," "They're so good together." Use them freely. Nobody ever lost a friend for saying that.

Phrases

they're very good together

a warm compliment about a couple

having a difficult time for a while

describes a problem without details

they're trying to fix the problems

talk to a professional about relationship problems

you want them to solve their problems

a polite way to avoid sharing private things

they live apart but aren't divorced

end a relationship

don't get involved in someone else's problem

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

Practice · 3 min

Say the line that fits. Situation on the left, one natural line on the right.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.