The moment

Kenji and Olivia share an apartment in Chicago. It's seven in the evening and Kenji walks in, drops his bag and says his day was "fine". Olivia can tell it wasn't. Listen for how she gets the real answer without pushing, and how Kenji's answers get longer once he feels someone is really listening.

The conversation

OliviaKenji
  1. Olivia
  2. Kenji
  3. Olivia
  4. Kenji
  5. Olivia
  6. Kenji
  7. Olivia
  8. Kenji
  9. Olivia
  10. Kenji
  11. Olivia
  12. Kenji
  13. Olivia
  14. Kenji

Words to know

a kind way to say "I think something is wrong"

asks for the story behind a bad mood or a problem

a positive way of looking at a bad situation

"you're right, I agree", said with a smile after a small argument

very hungry; a normal, not dramatic, answer to "Hungry?"

Check yourself

1Why does Olivia say "You don't sound fine"?
2What does Olivia mean by "So you get one more day to practice"?
3What finally makes Kenji's day better?

Practice · 3 min

Round one: repeat every line in the gap. Round two: mute Kenji and answer Olivia's questions with his lines. Round three: mute Olivia and ask the questions yourself. Keep "How was your day?" soft and rising, like you really want to know.

  1. OliviaHey, you're home late. How was your day?
  2. KenjiFine. It was fine.
  3. OliviaYou don't sound fine. What happened?
  4. KenjiThe train stopped for forty minutes this morning.
  5. OliviaOh no. Were you late for your meeting?
  6. KenjiVery late. And my boss moved my presentation to tomorrow.
  7. OliviaSo you get one more day to practice.
  8. KenjiI guess that's one way to see it.
  9. OliviaDid anything good happen today?
  10. KenjiActually, yes. A client loved our new design.
  11. OliviaSee? Not a totally bad day.
  12. KenjiOK, you win. How was yours?
  13. OliviaQuiet. I made too much curry. Hungry?
  14. KenjiStarving. That's the best news all day.

Say it today

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