Common English Phrases Used By Young Australians

G’day mate! Welcome to Sydney, Australia. We’ve compiled a few common phrases and words used by young Australians, just in case you’re a little confused the next time an Australian asks to hang out in the “arvo”.

Below are 10 common phrases to add to your vocabulary before beginning your student journey in Australia:

1. “Mate”

In Australia, a “mate” is simply a friend, or anyone you come across. Australians call everyone mate, and you’ll most likely hear this word in everyday conversation, such as “How are you, mate?

2. “Arvo”

“I’ll see you later this arvo”. This is a pretty common phrase, and it just means afternoon!

3.”Heaps good”

This one is a little more self-explanatory. If an Australian thinks something is really good, they will often use the word “heaps good”.

4. “Brekky”

This next one is also used almost everyday. If you’re “going out for brekky” or “having some brekky”, it’s just short for breakfast! You’ll notice a trend here… Australians love to shorten words!

5. “Barbie”

In Australia, barbie means barbecue! So the next time your Australian friend invites you to a barbie at their house in the arvo, you’ll know exactly what they mean.

6. “No worries”

Very similar to “no problem” or “that’s all good”, no worries is the Australian version!

7. “Servo”

In Australia, if someone refers to going to a servo, they mean the petrol station, also known as the gas station or service station.

8. “Thongs”

You may hear this one and get the wrong idea! Australians call sandals and flip flops “thongs” – for example, “I’m heading to the beach in my thongs.”

9. “Deadset”

This one is common especially amongst the younger Australian generation. If some says “deadset”, they typically mean “that’s very true”.

10. “How ya going?”

Last, but definitely not least, possibly the most common one of them all. This is the Australian version of “how are you?” Whilst living in Australia, it is guaranteed you will hear this a lot!