Meaning

"A piece of cake" is a task that's no trouble at all, something very simple to do. The picture is eating a slice of cake: nobody needs skill or effort for that, and it's pleasant too. You'll hear it about tests, repairs, recipes, directions, anything that turned out simpler than expected.

It is casual and cheerful, fine with friends and colleagues. You can put it in a full sentence, "The quiz was a piece of cake", or use the phrase alone as a quick answer: "How was the exam?" "Piece of cake." It sounds a little proud, so be careful saying it about something another person found hard. The opposite idea is "easier said than done", from earlier in this unit.

In a conversation

GraceLucas
  1. Grace
  2. Lucas
  3. Grace
  4. Lucas
  5. Grace
  6. Lucas

Say it out loud

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

Check yourself

1Lucas says building the bookshelf was a piece of cake. What does he mean?
2Why does Lucas change his mind at the end?

Practice · 3 min

Listen, then say each line. Stress "piece" and "cake", and say "of" as a quick, light "uh".

Say it today

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