Sometimes, you regret not speaking up during conversations with coworkers or bosses, choosing silence instead. You may ask yourself, "Why didn't I voice my thoughts when I could? Or why did I let this moment slip by?" Maybe you just couldn't find the right words. I completely relate to this. Here are 5 phrases I would have used if given the chance.

1) An older male colleague invites me to his desk and comments that my Dutch is quite good after reviewing the article I wrote. He acknowledges it's actually of a high standard. I responded: Well, I've been here for quite some time. I've lived in the Netherlands for the past 30 years.

What I should have said: 'You might expect that someone who has lived here since the age of 9, completed all her education in Dutch, and earned a bachelor's degree in Languages and Communications focusing on Dutch, would know a thing or two about the Dutch language.

2) An older male colleague frequently places his hands on my shoulders to show camaraderie. This makes me uncomfortable, so I simply distance myself from him.

What I should have said: "Poten weg, jij oetlul". In Dutch, it roughly means "Hands off, you fool."

3) My boss frequently interrupts others when they are speaking. He does this constantly. He asks questions but doesn't allow you to respond properly. During a 1:1, he advised me to be more noticeable in the office, to make myself more visible. I had been there for three months. At our next staff meeting, he inquired about a report, and just as I began to share my thoughts, he interrupted me. I slightly raised my voice and repeated the same word until he stopped talking. After a brief pause, I completed my point. Everyone listened quietly. My boss rolled his eyes and sighed. I held back my words. What I should have said: "I hope you like what you see. I am just being myself," with a wink.

4) My senior colleague casually mentions that if I had more skills, I would be employed by a larger corporation instead of the employer I had at that time. I was at a loss for words and couldn't respond. What I should have said: "I'm sorry you feel that way about yourself, considering you've been here for the past twenty years. I truly appreciate all the effort you've put into teaching me these skills. I'll definitely use them when I advance to bigger and better job opportunities."

5) During a meeting, my boss mentions the need for a fresh face for an upcoming ad campaign. He looks at me and another middle-aged female colleague and says, "No offense to you both, but when I think of an ad campaign, I picture a young hot chick." My colleague and I just laughed it off, probably both thinking the same thing: "Did he just call us old?!" What I should have said: "No offense taken at all! To my husband, I'm still that young hot chick. He just can't keep his hands off me... mostly because I keep smacking him for comments like that! Fortunately, we don't require your validation of our "hotness".