giving the floor / handing over / you're next / ...? (2025)

How do you express this in a way that sounds good/natural when e.g. in a meeting everybody talks about their stuff and then when they finish, they want to let the next person talk. Like:

- "I'm giving the floor to XY" (don't only politicians say that to each other in the senate or the like?)
- "I'm handing (it?) over to XY" (can you use "hand over" in this sense?)
- "Over to you, XY" (sounds like a TV sports commentator or a news anchor...?)
- "It's your turn now, XY"
- ...?

My preferred choices, if I am designating the next person to talk, are
"That's all I have to report. X?" (While I say this I'm turning to look at X).
"Your turn, X."
"You're next, X."
If we are going around the room clockwise and it's obvious who's next, I might leave out the person's name in my examples above.

"I'm giving the floor to XY" and "I'm handing (it?) over to XY" explain what you're doing, which isn't necessary in a context where everyone already knows the procedure.
"Over to you, X" is okay, but it does sound a little like someone on TV and a little self-conscious, as though you think you are acting like a TV anchor.
"It's your turn now, X," as a full sentence could be a little too formal, depending on the situation. It might sound as though you are 'announcing' the next speaker rather than just saying it's their turn.

(cross-posted)

"The floor" is used in formal meetings where only 1 person is allowed to speak at any moment. Whoever is allowed to speak "has the floor", and (when the rules allow) can "give the floor to" someone else. We don't talk about "having the floor" in other situations.

TV news shows have one person talking (to the audience) at a time. Often there is nothing said when it switches to a different speaker. Sometimes people say "over to you, Roger". Sometimes the current speaker asks Roger a question. There is no standard way of announcing (to the audience) that a different person will speak.

In normal conversations (2 people, or 3-5 people), humans uses pauses. Scientists have said there are 3 lengths of pause with different meanings:
- shortest (I am pausing but don't interrupt me)
- medium-long (ask me a question, or comment, but I have more to say)
- longest (I am finished my idea. Someone else can talk now).

The length of pauses is different in different regions and for different languages.

Roxxxannne said:

"That's all I have to report. X?" (While I say this I'm turning to look at X).
"Your turn, X."
"You're next, X."

Click to expand...

My case is a little bit different, because what I meant was an online meeting, there you can't directly look at the next person -- does that change anything? (Or would you use these in that particular situation as well?)