by the way
incidentally, in addition
In Spanish
por cierto, a propósito
Examples
- By the way, I won't be at the meeting tomorrow.
- By the way, did you hear about the new restaurant opening downtown?
- I found your book, by the way, it was under the couch.
When it's used
'By the way' is used to introduce an additional comment or change the subject. It's common in informal conversations and can appear in both speech and casual writing, such as personal emails.
The common mistake
A common mistake is using 'by the way' in overly formal contexts, such as a work report. In formal settings, it's better to use expressions like 'additionally' or 'incidentally'.