business

Business is any activity that involves an exchange of money for goods (products) or services (labor).

• He’s interested in big business.
• She wants to open her own business.
• Many people go into business for themselves.

Notice the use of the reflexive pronoun in these sentences:

• I went into business for myself.
• You went into business for yourself.
• She went into business for herself.
• They went into business for themselves.

The United States is a country of small and large businesses, so it helps to know how to talk about this subject. Here are things you’ll hear people say:

• Someone is opening a new business.
• They’re starting a business.
• He wants to get into business.
• He wants to be a business man.
• She has her own business.
• She’s a business woman.*
• Let’s do business.
• What kind of business are you in?
• Are they open for business yet?
• It looks like that place is going out of business.
• They lost their business.
• That business failed.

There are many idioms and expressions that use the word "business."

• There will be no more monkey business. (Stop playing around.)
• That’s none of your business. (This situation does not concern you–stay out of it.)
• Mind your own business. (same as above)
• They have no business doing that. (They shouldn’t be doing that.)
• Where’s the business end of the machine? (Where’s the part of the machine that does the work?)
• Everything is business as usual. (Nothing has changed, or everything is back to normal.)
• This is strictly business. (This situation does not involve personal matters.)
• Let’s get down to business. (Let’s do our work, or let’s now talk about serious matters.)
• That’s show biz. (That’s the way things go. The word "biz" is short for "business.")

He’s a business man.

*Note: It’s also common to hear a man or a woman in business described as a business person.

Click here to learn more words.

March 2, 2014