business or pleasure

[CORALINNA]

When you are at the airport and you go through customs they ask you the reason of your trip: "Business or pleasure?", so obviously you can answer: "For pleasure".


But if you are at a hotel and start talking to someone and they ask you: "Are you here on business?", is it alright to say: "I'm here for pleasure."? I find it weird to say so, but I would like to have a second opinion on that.

 

[Miss Julie]

When you are at the airport and you go through customs they ask you the reason of your trip: "Business or pleasure?", so obviously you can answer: "For pleasure".

But if you are at a hotel and start talking to someone and they ask you: "Are you here on business?", is it alright all right to say: "I'm here for pleasure."? I find it weird to say so, but I would like to have a second opinion on that.

I would say "I'm here on vacation." (If I were British, I would say "I'm here on holiday.")

 

[Hau Ruck]

If you are looking for a common-speak, idiomatic way to say this, I'd suggest, "No, I'm just on vacation." or "No, just for fun."

No one really says pleasure to be honest.

 

[CORALINNA]

If you are looking for a common-speak, idiomatic way to say this, I'd suggest, "No, I'm just on vacation." or "No, just for fun."

No one really says pleasure to be honest.

So, you wouldn't even answer that at the customs?

 

[sdgraham]

It sounds odd to me as well. Moreover, that could be taken in more than one way.

If you're talking about the famous Brazilian "motels," they wouldn't bother to ask, of course.

 

[Hau Ruck]

It sounds odd to me as well. Moreover, that could be taken in more than one way.

If you're talking about the famous Brazilian "motels," they wouldn't bother to ask, of course.

I was thinking the same thing Sdgraham! "Here for pleasure" said in a hotel, might get you some troubled looks.

 

[sdgraham]

So, you wouldn't even answer that at the customs?

I think you're more likely to be asked at immigration, rather than customs, but I would use the same terminology as the official.

My last trip to an English-speaking country was to Canada, where they asked "what is the purpose of your trip to Canada?"

"Tourism" always works, but my "fishing" was readily accepted as well.

 

[Miss Julie]

So, you wouldn't even answer that at the customs?

That would be the only place I'd say "pleasure" (in response to "business or pleasure?")

 

[CORALINNA]

That would be the only place I'd say "pleasure" (in response to "business or pleasure?")

That's what I needed to know. Thanks.

 

[Hau Ruck]

So, you wouldn't even answer that at the customs?

I've actually had this moment, with the customs agent, and hated saying it back. Granted, I said, "Pleasure" but I cringed while doing so.

As has been previously said, I'd repeat what the agent said, but it would be the only time I'd do such a thing.