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Aw yeah, Ladies and gentlemen, wookiees and ewoks, you have waited for it, and you got it!

Today we’ll be learning with a scene from the original Star Wars movie, when Luke Skywalker and Ben Kenobi meet Han Solo and Chewbacca for the first time.

Are you ready? Let’s get into it.

Han Solo. I’m captain of the Millennium Falcon.

Chewie here tells me you’re looking for passage to the Alderaan system.

Yes, indeed, if it’s a fast ship.

Fast ship?

You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon?

Should I have?

It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.

I’ve outrun imperial starships.

Not the local bulk cruisers, mind you. I’m talking about the big Corellian ships now.

She’s fast enough for you, old man.

What’s the cargo?

Only passengers. myself, the boy, two droids, and no questions asked.

What is it, some kind of local trouble?

Let’s just say we’d like to avoid any imperial entanglements.

Well, that’s the real trick, isn’t it?

And it’s gonna cost you something extra. 10,000, all in advance.

10,000?

We could almost buy our own ship for that.

But who’s gonna fly it, kid? you?

You bet I could. I’m not such a bad pilot myself. We don’t have to sit here and listen-

We can pay you 2,000 now plus 15 when we reach Alderaan.

17?

Okay, you guys got yourselves a ship. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready. Docking Bay 94.

Looks like somebody’s beginning to take an interest in your handiwork.

Han Solo. I’m captain of the Millennium Falcon.

So here Han Solo introduces himself as the captain of the spaceship called the Millennium Falcon.

In the real world, a ship is a large boat like this one. However, a spaceship, as the name suggests, is a flying which transports people across space. And, in sci-fi movies and books, it’s common to refer to spaceships as simply ships. chewie here tells me you’re looking for passage to the Alderaan system.

Chewie is short for Chewbacca, Han Solo’s best friend and partner in his adventures. So Han says Chewbacca tells him Luke and obi-Wan have been looking for a passage (that is, a way to travel) across space to the Alderaan star system.

This is an interesting example of a very unique use of the present tense with the verb tell in English. While it would have been fine if Han had said “Chewie here has told me,” he decided to say “Chewie here tells me.”

Natives will often use this conjugation as a way to ask the listener to clarify something they have heard from someone else.

The boy tells me you want to sponsor him in the race.

How can you do this?

Not on Republic credits, I think, huh?

Longbottom, is it?

Up.

Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for herbology.

Chewie here tells me you’re looking for passage to the Alderaan system.

Yes, indeed, if it’s a fast ship.

Indeed is a word you can use to add emphasis to a statement.

Your skills are complete.

Indeed you are powerful, as the emperor has foreseen.

You can also use it to express that something is correct, similarly to how you would do with more informal expressions like “that’s right,” or “oh, yeah.”

You must be the famous Pepper Potts.

Indeed, I am.

if it’s a fast ship fast.

Fast ship? you’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon?

did you notice how Han pronounce the word of in that sentence?

you’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon?

Even though you can barely hear it, it’s still there as an unstressed “uh” sound, which is known as the schwa found.

Han Solo. I’m captain of the Millennium Falcon.

What is it, some kind of local trouble?

This is because of is a function word, which means that when we speak we don’t stress it. Listen to these other examples.

Luke, you must complete the training.

I can’t keep the vision out of my head

Solo

No sign of life out there, General.

Chewie and me got into a lot of places more heavily guarded than this.

if it’s a fast ship.

Fast ship?

You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon?

Should I have?

It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.

considering parsec is a unit of distance, not time, this line by Han Solo apparently makes no sense. How could he have travelled this route, the Kessel Run, in a shorter distance?

It remained a mystery for a long time, until recently, when the movie Solo: A Star Wars Story explained how that actually happened. In the star wars universe, spaceships are unable to travel in straight lines in hyperspace due to the potential for colliding with celestial objects.

So, planning a course to get your destination can be a difficult task. Due Millennium Falcon’s superior navigation computer, it was able to make shorter, quicker jumps between points, enabling it to arrive at its destination faster.

It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.

I’ve outrun imperial starships.

Imperial is an adjective describing anything related (or belonging) to an empire in this case, the Galactic Empire. Example, Kyoto was once the Imperial Capital of Japan.

To outrun somebody is to run (or travel) faster than somebody.

We can’t outrun them!

We might!

In that quadjumper!

in fact, the prefix out can be put together with a variety of verbs to get a similar idea of “more then or better than” somebody.

for example, to outgrow somebody is to grow faster than somebody. Or if an army outnumbers the opposing army, that means that they are superior because they are larger in numbers (that is, they have more soldiers).

I’ve outrun imperial starships.

Not the local bulk cruisers, mind you. I’m talking about the big Corellian ships now.

In the Star Wars universe, a cruiser is a type of spaceship. In the real world, it’s the type of ship, like this one. Mind you is especially used to give stress to a statement so that the sentence after (or before) it is not misunderstood, especially when the new information explained contrasts with it.

for example, his advice wasn’t very helpful. I’m not criticizing him, mind you.

What would be another way to say mind you?

Although this is not common in English, in sailing, it’s also common to informally refer to a ship as a “she” addressing it as a female, instead of as an object. She’s fast enough for you, old man.

What’s the cargo?

Only passengers

Cargo refers to goods carried by a large vehicle, like a plane, ship, train, or truck, especially in the context of shipping.

what’s the cargo?

Only passengers. myself, the boy, two droids

if you’re a Star Wars fan, you should be familiar with the word droid, which refers to robots that have some degree of artificial intelligence such as R2-D2, C-3PO, BB-8, and the battle droids seen in the prequel trilogy.

an interesting fun fact is that the term was created by special effects artist John Stears, who worked in the original Star Wars. so “droid” is a clipped form of “android”, a word originally used exclusively for robots designed to look and act like humans.

What’s the cargo?

Only passengers. myself, the boy, two droids, and no questions asked.

No questions asked is an expression indicating that a person should not be questioned or bothered about something, especially if the information would be considered private.

Example, if you’re not satisfied with the purchase, you may return the product within 7 days, no question asked.

What is it, some kind of local trouble?

Let’s just say we’d like to avoid any imperial entanglements.

Entanglement is the state of being entangled; a situation or relationship that you are involved in, and that is complicated and difficult escape from. This comes from the word tangle, which means something is stuck or tied together.

Example, my hair got tangled in the wind.

By the way, did you notice how Obi-Wan pronounced the word Imperial here?

Let’s just say we’d like to avoid any imperial entanglements

You probably noticed this sounds very different from the “R” sound heard in an American accent, and even different from the more common standard British accent.

let’s hear it again.

Let’s just say we’d like to avoid any imperial entanglements

You just heard the distinctive rolling “R” that is comment to the Scottish accent.

the English accent heard from people from Scotland.

The actor Alec Guinness, who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi in this movie, is from Scotland, and decides to bring this accent to his character.

Oh, don’t worry, he will be all right.

I wish I’d known him.

He was the best starpilot in the galaxy. And a cunning warrior.

interesting enough, it sounds very similar to the rolling “R” found in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian languages.

Check out these other examples.

Are you all right? What’s wrong?

I felt a great disturbance in the Force.

As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I feel something terrible has happened.

Now, professor, I thought if you signed it, then I could–

I can’t. only a parent or a guardian can sign.

Since I am neither, it would be inappropriate.

Let’s just say we’d like to avoid any imperial entanglements.

Well, that’s the real trick, isn’t it?

And it’s gonna cost you something extra.

So here Han realizes what is the real challenge in the task. By saying that “that’s the real trick,” he is implying that escaping from the Empire is the actual challenge, not just simply traveling to another planet.

And, because of that, he will have to charge more for the trip.

Well, that’s the real trick, isn’t it?

And it’s gonna cost you something extra. 10,000, all in advance.

If somebody asks for a payment in advance in a transaction the payment must be received in full before the goods or services are delivered.

10,000?

We could almost buy our own ship for that.

But who’s gonna fly it, kid? you?

You bet I could. I’m not such a bad pilot myself. We don’t have to sit here and listen-

As Han doubts Luke could possibly be able to fly a ship in space, Luke reacts with anger and makes use of the slang expression “you bet” meaning “you can be very sure.”

However, you may also use it with a positive enthusiasm.

You ready, Annabelle?

You bet.

We can pay you 2,000 now plus 15 when we reach Alderaan.

17?

Okay, you guys got yourselves a ship.

When closing a transaction or deal, it’s common to hear natives informally tell the other person that they have got themselves something, meaning there is now a commitment to the deal that was made.

What brings you here, Ron?

my friend, we’ve got a job in New York City.

Whammy! I’m in!

you’ve got yourself a sportscaster.

Okay, you guys got yourselves a ship. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready. Docking Bay 94.

A docking bay is the area where a ship stays “parked” at a port. Obviously, in Star Wars, a spaceport docking bay is not made for actual ships, and are simply open areas where spaceships can take off from.

Looks like somebody’s beginning to take an interest in your handiwork.

To take an interest in something/somebody is to become concerned with, curious about, or interest in someone or something. Example, ever since his summer in Paris, he’s taken a real interest in wine. handiwork refers to work skilfully done with the hands.

Han is sarcastically saying that the Imperial troopers, who have just entered the bar, seem to be looking for Obi-Won because of whatever he is doing, witch Han has no idea about.

Han Solo. I’m captain of the Millennium Falcon.

Chewie here tells me you’re looking for passage to the Alderaan system.

Yes, indeed, if it’s a fast ship.

Fast ship?

You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon?

Should I have?

It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.

I’ve outrun imperial starships.

Not the local bulk cruisers, mind you. I’m talking about the big Corellian ships now.

She’s fast enough for you, old man.

What’s the cargo?

Only passengers. myself, the boy, two droids, and no questions asked.

What is it, some kind of local trouble?

Let’s just say we’d like to avoid any imperial entanglements.

Well, that’s the real trick, isn’t it?

And it’s gonna cost you something extra. 10,000, all in advance.

10,000?

We could almost buy our own ship for that.

But who’s gonna fly it, kid? you?

You bet I could. I’m not such a bad pilot myself. We don’t have to sit here and listen-

We can pay you 2,000 now plus 15 when we reach Alderaan.

17?

Okay, you guys got yourselves a ship. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready. Docking Bay 94.

Looks like somebody’s beginning to take an interest in your handiwork.