Jack was walking down the street, wondering what he’d tell his wife once he got home. Then he saw a familiar face:
– “Jack! How’s it going?!”
– “Oh, hi Bill, good to see you here, mate.”
– “You look a little down, everything alright?”
– “Well I..I invested all this money into this company, and now I find out they’re filing for bankruptcy.”
– “Oh, that’s terrible. I’ve been there, man. What are you going to do?”
I’ve been there
Usually I’ve been there means that sometime in your life, you have been to a particular place.
For example:
“I’ve been to Sydney. Had a great time.”
“I’ve never been to Tokyo, but I’d like to.”
However, I’ve been there can also be used to say you too have been in the same situation as your friend.
Often it’s used to express sympathy:
– “My girlfriend just dumped me – by text!”
– “Ouch, I’ve been there, man.”
It can also be used to express humour (and indeed other emotions):
– “I drank like a fish last night and now I can barely move without wanting to go to the bathroom.”
– “Yep, I’ve been there.”
– “I think I’m in love with my Spanish teacher.”
– “I’ve been there. Just don’t do what I did!”
Check out extra tips on learning English (especially spoken English phrases and expressions) on the Get Into English Facebook page!
Yes, unfortunately, we all have been there when it comes to some unpleasant situations.