'Better off' and 'well off' - Learners' Questions

Learn how to use 'better off' and 'well off' correctly in this English lesson with Dan from BBC Learning English

Transcript
Dan
Hi guys! Dan from BBC Learning English here with this week's Learner Question. Find out what it is after this.

OK! This week's Learner Question comes from Mariano from Spain, who writes: How do I understand the sentence we are better off than you. Does it always refer to questions related to money? For example, we have got more money than you. I’m not sure. Please help. Ok Mariano. Here’s your explanation.

So, well off is an adjective and it relates mainly to money matters. If you are well off, you may not be exactly rich but you certainly have enough money to live well and comfortably. For example, they’re quite well off. They have their own flat and they have their own car.

The comparative form of well off is better off, and this is used to talk about the varying degrees of wealth that different people have. For example, we’re not as well off as the Jones’s. They are definitely better off than we are.

To be better off also has another meaning, and it means to be in a better situation. It’s mostly used in conditional patterns. For example, if you’ve got heavy bags, you’re better off taking a taxi. Or, it says on the sign over there that the motorway is closed so we’re better off going by a different route.

Finally, we can talk about the better off. When we add the to an adjective, we create a group noun. So the better off is a group of people who are better off than us. For example, the better off should pay a higher rate of tax, whereas the worse off should pay no tax at all.

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[MyLifeis-smiple]

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[oksanadaudova]

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[EnglishProTips]

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[irinarimskaya]

I think it is very good explanation illustrated by great examples. Many thanks)

[ClaretCode]

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[yolochannel]

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[BlackboardEnglish]

Great video. I enjoy watching your videos. Thank you :)

[soojeong]

Thanks for the video!
Can you let me know the difference between "be better off + ~ing" and "might as well + bare Infinitive"?

[ChitraJayawardena]

well off = යමක් කමක් ඇති හොද ඡිවිතයක් ගෙවන better off = වඩා හොද ඡිවිතයක් ගෙවන

[tammytsang]

We are well off but not rich enough to travel frequently.

[tammytsang]

Many of our friends are better off than us and they can afford to travel several times a year.

[thanhtranvan]

Hi all, I'm Thành, from Vietnam. I want to improve my English skills.