The most common business English vocabulary and conversation samples

Business English vocabulary

Vocabulary

Part of speech

Meaning

Example

Job

/dʒɒb/

n

the regular work that a person does to earn money

I have a part-time job as a waiter at a local restaurant. 

Occupation

/ˌɒkjʊˈpeɪʃən/

n

a person’s job

Her occupation is a doctor. 

Career

/kəˈrɪər/

n

the job or series of jobs that you do during your working life, especially if you continue to get better jobs and earn more money

He has had a successful career in finance for over 20 years. 

Workplace

/ˈwɜːrkˌpleɪs/

n

a building or room where people perform their jobs, or these places generally

Our company recently moved to a new workplace downtown. 

Colleague

/ˈkɒliːɡ/

n

one of a group of people who work together

I enjoy working with my colleagues because we make a great team. 

Boss

/bɒs/

n

the person who is in charge of an organization and who tells others what to do

My boss is very supportive. 

Deadline

/ˈdɛdˌlaɪn/

n

a time or day by which something must be done

We have to finish this project before the deadline.

Contract

/ˈkɒn.trækt/

n

a legal document that states and explains a formal agreement between two different people or groups, or the agreement itself

I need to sign a contract before starting my new job. 

Salary

/ˈsæləri/

n

a fixed amount of money agreed every year as pay for an employee, usually paid directly into his or her bank account every month

The company offers competitive salaries to attract top talent. 

Commission

/kəˈmɪʃ.ən/

n

a payment to someone who sells goods that is directly related to the amount sold, or a system that uses such payments

The salesperson earns a commission for each product they sell. 

Holiday pay

/ˈhɒl.ə.deɪ peɪ/

n

any form of alternative compensation an employer offers employees during holidays

Employees usually receive holiday pay for national holidays. 

Maternity leave

/məˈtɜː.nə.ti liːv/

n

a period in which a woman is legally allowed to be absent from work in the weeks before and after she gives birth

She is taking maternity leave to spend time with her newborn baby. 

Sick leave

/sɪk liːv/

n

time away from work because of illness

He took a few days of sick leave due to a bad flu. 

Working hours

/ˈwɜː.kɪŋ ˈaʊəz/

n

the amount of time someone spends at work during a day

The working hours for this job are from 9am to 6pm. 

Health insurance

/helθ ɪnˈʃɔː.rəns/

n

an arrangement in which you make regular payments to an insurance company in exchange for that company paying most or all of the costs of your medical care

The company offers health insurance coverage for its employees. 

Promotion

/prəˈməʊʃən/

n

the act of raising someone to a higher or more important position or rank

After years of hard work, she finally received a promotion to a higher position.

Resign

/rɪˈzaɪn/

v

to give up a job or position by telling your employer that you are leaving

She decided to resign from her position due to personal reasons. 

Retire

/rɪˈtaɪər/

v

to leave your job or stop working because of old age or ill health

He plans to retire next year after working for 40 years. 

Pension

/ˈpen.ʃən/

n

an amount of money paid regularly by the government or a private company to a person who does not work any more because they are too old or have become ill

After retiring, she will receive a monthly pension from her former company. 

English business conversation samples

How do you do?

How is it going? How are you doing?

I don’t usually work overtime.

This has been a hectic week. I have had lots of tasks.

How long does it take you to get to work?

How do you get to work?

How long have you worked here?

It’s been great talking to you, but I’ve got to get back to work.

Here’s my business card.

English business conversation samples

What are your short term goals?

Why should we hire you?

How would you describe your work style?

So why did you decide to apply for this?

I've always wanted to work in the sector. ​​

I graduated from ______.

I have a degree in ______.

I'm a quick learner.

I have strong problem-solving skills.

I'm eager to contribute.

I'm a good communicator.

English business conversation samples

I wonder if you could explain about ______.

Would you mind telling me a little bit more about benefits at this company?

Can you describe my role in more detail?

Who will I be working with in my team?

What are the typical work hours here?

Are there opportunities for advancement within the company?

How long has your company been established?

How many departments do you have?

How many employees do you have?

English business conversation samples

Glad to have you in our team, Mr Martin.

Welcome to your first day in our company.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

Do you want me to show you around the place?

Are you new here?

I've just joined as a/an _______.

I'm really looking forward to contributing to the team's success.

Could you show me the _______ Department?

Are there any specific company policies or procedures I should be aware of?

Thank you for the warm welcome. I'm eager to get started.

I appreciate your time and guidance. I'll do my best in this role.

I'm excited to start this new journey and I'm fully committed to giving it my best effort.

English business conversation samples

What kind of thing do I have to do?

How long does it take for my internship?

Do I have to take part in a training course?

Who is my supervisor?

How will you evaluate my performance?

I'm eager to prove myself and contribute to the team's success during my probation period.

I see this as a valuable opportunity to learn and grow in my role.

English business conversation samples

Can/ Could you help me take a look at this? I’m having some difficulties with it.

How is the ______ going? Do you need help?

I think we should have some discussion on/ about ______.

Can/ Could you switch shifts with me this Friday/Monday/…?

That’s a good/ creative/ bold idea.

English business conversation samples

What time does the meeting start?

What time does the meeting finish?

As everyone is here, let us begin the meeting.

In today’s meeting, we will focus on/ discuss/ talk about ______.

We would like to hear from Mr/Mrs ______ about ______.

Sorry for interrupting you, but can you give me/us more information on ______?

Any thoughts before we close the meeting?

I think we’ve covered everything. Thanks for your contributions.

I think this matter needs further discussion.

It’s time to divide the tasks. Who would like to be in charge of ______?

Please inform me right when you have completed your task.

English business conversation samples

He deserved credits, certainly.

You did a good job.

You’ve done a great job.

Well done. I’m proud of you.

Awesome, you’re awesome.

Good job on the report! I think the executives will like it.

What a marvelous memory you’ve got!

He is so prospective.

English business conversation samples

I’ll be with you in a moment.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

Can I help you?

Do you need any help?

What can I do for you?

English business conversation samples

I would like to introduce all of you to the new members of our group.

We are glad you join us.

Can we talk a little bit about the project?

We are going to need all people’s input on that project.

Can you talk about what plans we have for the future?

Keep to the point, please.

That sounds like a fine idea.

English business conversation samples

Company PREP, this is ______. How may I help you?

May I have your name please?

May I ask who am I speaking with?

Sure, let me check on that.

Sure, one moment please.

Can I put you on hold for a minute?

Do you mind holding while I check on that.

He’s/she’s not available at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?

Is there anything else I can help you with?… Okay, thanks for calling.

English business conversation samples

Good morning/afternoon/evening. This is ______ at/ calling from ______. Could I speak to ______?

Can I leave a message for him/her?

Could you tell him/her that I called, please?

Okay, thanks. I’ll call back later.

I’m sorry, we have a bad connection. Could you speak a little louder, please?

Thank you very much. Have a good day.

English business conversation samples

Can I help you?

Sorry to keep you waiting.

Do you need any help?

What can I do for you?

How may I assist you today?

Thank you for choosing us/ our service!

If you have any questions or problems when using our service/ product, don’t hesitate to contact us.

We sincerely apologize for your unpleasant experience! We will take care of this immediately.

Thank you for your valuable feedback! We will try our best to improve our service.

The information/document/data/… will be sent to you via email as soon as possible/before ____/within ____.

English business conversation samples

Mr/Mrs. ______, I would like to ask you a favor. May I take this Friday/Monday/… off? I need to ______.

Could I take a day off this/ next week/…, Mr/Mrs. ______? I need to ______.

I’m sorry, I think I may not be able to work tomorrow as I’m not feeling well right now.

Wouldn’t it be possible for me to take this Friday/Monday/… morning off because I have a family matter?

She’s on maternity leave.

He’s off sick today.

She’s on holiday.

I would like to ask permission for a day off from work on ______ because ______

How many weeks of holidays should I get?

Do I get paid for my holidays?

I would like to request some time off next month for ______.

Is it possible to take a few days off for ______?

Would it be possible to adjust my work schedule for a long weekend trip?

English business conversation samples

______ years of working at ______ has given me lots of valuable experience and memories. However, I think it’s time for me to challenge myself in a new work environment.

Here is my letter of resignation. I hope you will consider it.

I’ve been trying, but I don’t think I’m up to this job. Sorry, here is my resignation.

During my last week, I’ll do everything possible to wrap up my duties and train other team members.

Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do to aid during the transition.