“Yeah, it can be really intimidating traveling in a foreign country where you don't know the language and the customs.”
You're talking to someone who recently traveled to another country. She tells you that it was scary sometimes. You've felt this way before, so you agree.
Yeah, it can be really intimidating traveling in a foreign country where you don't know the language and the customs.
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(something) is intimidating
Something that is "intimidating" is a little scary, but not too scary. It's something that you're a bit frightened of, but you will be able to handle it. Some things that you might consider intimidating include:
- speaking in front of a large audience
- having a meeting with the director of your department at work
- talking to native speakers of your second language
- starting a business
Yeah
"Yeah" is a more casual way of saying "yes".
Say this to agree with something that a person said:
You can also say "yeah" when you're going to disagree but you want to make your disagreement sound a little softer.
"Yeah" sounds less formal than "yes."
It can be (adjective)(doing something)
This expression is useful for describing an experience in a "soft" way. For example:
It can be lonely living by yourself.
This means "Living by yourself is lonely sometimes."
It can be difficult working full-time while also trying to raise children.
This is a soft way of saying that working and raising children at the same time is difficult.
a foreign country
A "foreign country" is any country that's outside of the one that you're talking about.
That might mean:
- a country that you were not born in
- a country that you do not live in
- a country that's not the main topic of discussion
For example, if you were born in Korea and you recently moved to Canada, you can say this about Canada:
It's hard living in a foreign country.
But if you're talking to other Canadians, you can also say:
I was born in a foreign country.
(a country or group's) customs
"Customs" are the usual ways that people act in a specific group or region.
As an example, some American customs include:
- shaking hands when you meet someone in a business setting
- tipping the server at a restaurant
- men opening doors for women
- taking your hat off when you enter a building
- saying "Bless you!" when someone sneezes