Meaning

Earlier in this unit you met "a piece of cake" for a task that's no trouble. This lesson is about two things people do with the full sentence. The first is reassurance: before someone tries something new, you say "Don't worry, it's a piece of cake" to calm them down. The second is modesty: when someone thanks you for help, "Oh, that was a piece of cake" means "it was nothing, don't worry about it."

Both are warm and casual. Reassurance has a risk, though. If the other person then struggles, "it's a piece of cake" can make them feel slow. When someone is nervous, it often works better to add some honesty: "It's a piece of cake once you've done it twice." That tells them it gets simpler, without pretending the first try is nothing.

In a conversation

MarcusAiko
  1. Marcus
  2. Aiko
  3. Marcus
  4. Aiko
  5. Marcus
  6. Aiko

Say it out loud

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

Check yourself

1Why does Marcus change what he says in his third line?
2A friend thanks you for helping them move a sofa. You say "Honestly, that was a piece of cake." What are you doing?

Practice · 3 min

Listen, then say each line. The first two are reassurance: calm and friendly. The last one is modesty: light, with a shrug in your voice.

Say it today

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