Useful English Word or Phrase to Boost Your English: Cheers

What does it mean?

While it is used before drinking to wish good health, its most common informal meaning in the UK is simply 'Thank you' or sometimes 'Goodbye'.

Is it positive or negative?

It is completely positive, used to express gratitude or farewell.

When do you use it?

You use it in almost any casual situation where you would say 'Thank you'-when someone hands you a drink, opens a door, or gives you information. It is ubiquitous in the UK.

Examples

Example 1 (Thank you): Someone hands you your bag. "Oh, cheers mate!"

Example 2 (Goodbye): Ending a phone call. "Alright, I'll see you next week. Cheers!"

Question for you

Are you surprised by its more common meaning or did you already know?

Are you looking for English speaking practice online?

Are you looking for English speaking practice online? Cheers to you for taking the next step! If you want to speak English like a local and use words like cheers naturally, you've found the right website. I offer online English lessons using Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom for my high-quality classes. My English speaking lessons are perfect if you are not getting enough speaking practice and want to improve your spoken fluency, accuracy, and learn nice, natural vocabulary and expressions directly from a British native speaker. If you want to study English with a British native speaker online, you can find out more about lessons here. For another useful word, see numpty.