Do you ever find yourself standing in a group of native English speakers and all of a sudden you need to leave the group, but you aren't sure how to say that you are leaving?
In this situation, what should you do?
In today's article I will give you some new tools to get out of a casual group conversation politely and quickly.
1) "Sorry, I have to run."
This is a very casual way of saying that you have to leave. It's not impolite so you can use it with your classmates, colleagues or even with your boss.
2) "I have to get going" or "I gotta get going" or "I gotta go"
Similar to "I have to run" this is also casual, but not impolite.
It could be used to speak with your professor or your boss. The second phrase "I gotta get going", is a common form of American slang.
"Gotta" means " I have to" or "I have got to." Don't be surprised if you hear "gotta" more than you hear "have to."
You might want to use "gotta" only with close friends in very casual situations, not at the office or with your teachers.
3) "I'm going to take off" or "I'm gonna take off" or "I'm taking off"
"Take off" means to leave. This phrasal verb is also used to say that an airplane is leaving the ground, but in this case it means that you are going to go somewhere else. This is also quite casual.
4) "I'm off!"
This is a less common way to say that you are leaving. People usually use this phrase when they are enthusiastic about where they are going. You might use this before you leave for a big trip or an adventure.
5) "I'm heading out" or "I'm going to head out" or "I'm gonna head out"
Also a casual way to say that you are leaving. The verb "to head" somewhere means to move in a specific direction. We can also say "I'm headed home" and that means that you are going in the direction of your home.
6) "I'm outta here" or "I'm out of here"
This can sound disrespectful if you're not careful about your tone of voice.
It can sound like you don't want to be where you are and that you are bored or that you have someplace better to go. You might hear teenagers say this a lot.
If you liked this article and you want to learn more you can also check out 21 Ways to Say Hello and Goodbye in American English.
Do you have any questions from this article?
If so, please write your questions in the comment box below and I will answer it as soon as I can! Good luck with your English and keep practicing!
Photo credit: jawcey, clipkilla, Dace Kirspile
