We’ve all had to talk about our phone battery, haven’t we? Whether it’s almost dead and needs charging urgently, or you’re totally fine battery-wise, this post will teach you useful, everyday English expressions to talk about it naturally and precisely.
Battery Status
| Low battery 🪫 | Battery is OK 🔋 |
| The phone needs charging. | My phone’s battery is fine for now. |
| My phone has low battery. My battery is low. I’m running low on battery. | It’s fully charged and ready to go. I’m fully charged. |
| My phone/battery is almost dead. | I still have plenty of battery. |
| My phone is about to die. | I’m good on battery. |
| I need to plug the phone in. | My phone is half-charged. The battery is about half full, so it should last a while. I’m nowhere near low. |
| I’m down to 10%. My phone’s on 10%. | I’ve got enough charge for now. I can get by with this. |
| My battery is almost empty. | It’s not great, but it’ll do. It’s hanging in there. |
| I don’t have much battery left. | No worries — I’m charged. All good. |
| My phone is about to shut off. | The battery’s holding up great. |
Battery: Countable or Uncountable?
You may have noticed that when we talk about battery status, “battery” is uncountable: My phone has low battery*. I don’t have much battery left. We use battery as an uncountable noun when we mean battery power or charge.
On the other hand, we use battery as a countable noun when we mean the physical battery itself: This phone uses a lithium battery. You can buy batteries at this store.
*It’s ✅ to say My phone has a low battery too. When you add the article, you’re treating battery as countable — basically, “a battery with low charge.”
Vocabulary in Context
Alex: Hey, can I borrow your charger for a minute? My phone’s about to die.
Sam: Again? Didn’t you charge it this morning?
Alex: I did… but my battery doesn’t hold up anymore. It drains super fast (1). Yesterday it died at 30%!
Sam: Ouch. Sounds like it’s really struggling (2).
Alex: Yeah. Sometimes it’s almost dead after just a few calls or a couple of videos. I’m running low on battery all the time.
Sam: Mine’s brand new, so I’m fully charged in the morning and good to go all day.
Alex: Lucky you. I have to carry a power bank everywhere. Even then, I’m usually down to 10% by lunch.
Sam: That’s rough. Maybe it’s time for a new battery… or even a new phone.
Alex: Probably. This one’s old, and it doesn’t last more than a few hours without charging. I’ve tried to save battery (3) — turning off apps, lowering brightness, even switching off Bluetooth — but it still drains fast.
Sam: Wow, that’s annoying. Mine’s still at 80% by lunchtime. It’s hanging in there really well.
Alex: Ugh, I’m jealous. My battery is barely holding up. Sometimes I’m about to die and can’t call anyone.
Sam: Well, at least your phone still works. Some people have phones that just shut off randomly when the battery is low.
Alex: True… but I hate worrying about it all the time. I can’t go anywhere without thinking, “Is my battery going to survive (4)?”
Sam: Haha, I know that feeling. But with a fully charged phone like mine, I’m sorted (5). I don’t even need to think about charging until the evening.
Alex: Must be nice. Right now, I’m barely halfway charged, and I’ve got to make it through the rest of the day (6).
Sam: Don’t worry. If you survive on 10% for a bit, you’ll make it to a charger (7).
Alex: I hope so… I just wish my battery was as good as yours — plenty of battery, fully charged, and holding up all day without problems.
Sam: Maybe one day you’ll upgrade (8). Then you’ll be good on battery, like me.
Alex: Yeah… someday. Until then, I’ll survive on my old battery, constantly low and almost dead.
Sam: At least you’ve got some charge left for now. Let’s just hope it doesn’t die mid-call (9)!
- The battery drains fast = The battery runs out quickly; Battery life is terrible; It eats up battery quickly
- The battery is really struggling = The battery isn’t holding up well; The battery’s on its last legs
- to save battery = to save power
- to survive (of battery) = to last, to make it through
- Im sorted (informal British English) = I’m good, I’m all set, I’m covered
- I’ve got to make it through the rest of the day = I need to get through the day
- to make it to the charger = to find a charger in time
- to upgrade (intransitive verb) = to get a new model
- to die mid-call = to cut out / shut off / turn off during a call
Well, we hope you’re now prepared for any situation — whether your battery is low, half full, or fully charged. Let us know if you’d like more content like this, and feel free to share your ideas for future posts!
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