How to say “of course” like a native speaker
This means something is expected or obvious, and can also express willing agreement. Take care with tone: an answer can sound dismissive if the question was sincere.
All phrases · Small talk
Hear “of course” in real speech
Clip 1 · Mel Robbins
How to stop screwing yourself over | Mel Robbins | TEDxSF · 11:25
About this video
Mel Robbins talks about changing habits and taking action on things people want to do. She introduces an exercise involving getting out of bed when an earlier alarm rings.
In context
Do you think that somebody who needs to lose weight ever feels like going on a diet?Of course not!
You think they ever feel like eating boiled chicken and peas instead of a croissant?
Clip 2 · TED
Why You Need the Growth Mindset of a Weed | Stephen Nobles | TED · 11:16
About this video
Whitney Pennington Rodgers interviews Stephen Nobles about curiosity in education. Nobles discusses how helping students feel seen, heard and involved can affect their engagement with school.
In context
gave me books, "Hey son, you want to go on a cruise this summer?""Yeah, of course."
"Alright, if you read this book, "The Odyssey," we'll go."
Clip 3 · Tim Urban
Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator | Tim Urban | TED · 8:07
About this video
Tim Urban describes his habit of putting off college papers until the deadline approached. He uses those experiences to explore the conflict between immediate distractions and longer-term plans.
In context
because the people of TED reached out to me about six months ago and invited me to do a TED Talk.Now, of course, I said yes.
It's always been a dream of mine to have done a TED Talk in the past.
When to use “of course”
- Agreeing to a small favour: “Could I borrow your pen?” “Of course.”
- Acknowledging an obvious limitation: “Of course, we can't finish everything today.”
Possible connected-speech patterns in “of course”
“Of” often has a weak vowel. Keep “course” as the stronger word instead of giving both words equal weight.
Related phrases
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A slow line to begin with: listen to how “don’t need to” runs together, then say it at the speaker’s pace.
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