Beginner English questions about travel, hotels and clothes
A1 English listening practice · English · Curated for beginners
What does “trousers” mean in British English?
Trousers is the British word for the long clothes you wear on your legs. Americans say pants for the same thing. Here is a fun and important point: in Britain, the word pants means underwear! So if a British person hears “I need new pants,” they think of underwear, not leg clothes. To stay safe in Britain, say trousers for the clothes on your legs.
In the clip, a person says: “a shirt and trousers, but I don’t need to wear a tie.” This is normal British English. American English and British English use different clothes words. Trousers (British) and pants (American) mean the same thing.