Two short moments. In the first, a stranger outside a bar or a train station asks you for a light, and you need a quick answer either way. In the second, someone's smoke is bothering you, and you want it to stop without starting an argument.
The first moment is casual. "Got a light?" is short for "Do you have a lighter?" and the answer can be as short: "Sorry, no." You'll also hear "Can I bum a cigarette?", which is slang for asking someone to give you one. The second moment is the tricky one. Americans complain about smoke with a reason and a request: "The smoke's getting in my eyes. Would you mind blowing it the other way?" A reason makes the request sound fair, and a question makes it sound polite. Save "I hate smoking" for friends; to strangers, talk about the smoke, not the person.
Phrases
asking for a lighter or matches
the plain no
slang: asking someone to give you one
the reason behind your no, with no apology needed
a calm statement of the problem
a small, polite request
a strong dislike, for friends and family
the common complaint after a night near smokers
a health reason people respect right away
softening a complaint so it doesn't sound like an attack
Say it out loud
Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.
Practice · 3 min
Say it naturally. Situation on the left, one natural line on the right.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Say it today
Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.