Learning a new language is an exciting journey filled with opportunities to discover your potential, connect with people and expand your horizons.
It might seem challenging at times, but with dedication, practice, and a positive attitude, we can embrace the adventure and make steady progress.
Now, learning an entirely new language is scary, but once you take baby steps and wet your feet into the ocean full of learning, you need somewhere to start.
So let’s dive in with enthusiasm and enjoy the process of unlocking a whole new world of communication and understanding!
Here are a few Basic English-speaking words that will help you start conversations and express yourself in English more transparently.
71 Essential English Words for Beginners: The list of Essential
English Words for Beginners can serve as your foundation for effective communication in English.
These words encompass greetings, common verbs, essential nouns, and simple adjectives. By mastering these words, you’ll have a solid base to start conversations, describe things, and understand the basic exchange of words.
Remember, learning a language is a gradual process, so take your time to absorb and practise these words until they become second nature; so here are the 71 essential English words for beginners, along with examples for each to get you into the nature of English language.
Hello: Used to greet someone.
Example: “Hello! How are you?”
Goodbye: Used to say farewell.
Example: “Goodbye! Have a great day!”
Please: Used to make a polite request.
Example: “Please pass me the salt.”
Thank you: Used to express gratitude.
Example: “Thank you for helping me.”
Sorry: Used to apologise.
Example: “I’m sorry for being late.”
Yes: Used to affirm or agree.
Example: “Yes, I’d like some tea.”
No: Used to negate or decline.
Example: “No, I can’t come tomorrow.”
I: Used to refer to oneself.
Example: “I like to read.”
You: Used to refer to someone else.
Example: “You are very kind.”
He: Used to refer to a male.
Example: “He is my brother.”
She: Used to refer to a female.
Example: “She is my friend.”
They: Used to refer to a group of people.
Example: “They are coming to the party.”
We: Used to refer to a group including oneself.
Example: “We are going to the park.”
It: Used to refer to a non-human object.
Example: “It is a beautiful day.”
Be: Used for basic existence or description.
Example: “I am happy.”
Have: Used to indicate possession.
Example: “She has a cat.”
Do: Used for actions.
Example: “I do my homework.”
Go: Used to indicate movement.
Example: “They go to school.”
Come: Used to indicate movement towards the speaker.
Example: “Come here, please.”
Eat: Used for consuming food.
Example: “I eat breakfast every morning.”
Drink: Used for consuming liquids.
Example: “She drinks water.”
Like: Used to express preferences.
Example: “I like ice cream.”
Dislike: Used to express not liking something.
Example: “He dislikes rainy days.”
Want: Used to express desires.
Example: “They want to watch a movie.”
Need: Used to express necessities.
Example: “I need a pen.”
Know: Used to indicate knowledge.
Example: “Do you know the answer?”
Understand: Used to indicate comprehension.
Example: “I don’t understand this question.”
Listen: Used for paying attention to sounds.
Example: “Listen to the music.”
Speak: Used for verbal communication.
Example: “She speaks three languages.”
Read: Used for understanding written text.
Example: “I enjoy reading books.”
Write: Used for creating written content.
Example: “He writes in his journal.”
Watch: Used for observing visual content.
Example: “We watch movies on weekends.”
Play: Used for engaging in activities for enjoyment.
Example: “They play soccer in the park.”
Work: Used for employment or effort.
Example: “I work at a bookstore.”
Study: Used for learning or acquiring knowledge.
Example: “She studies maths.”
Live: Used to indicate residence.
Example: “They live in a big house.”
Stay: Used for temporary residence.
Example: “I stay at a hotel.”
Meet: Used for encountering someone.
Example: “Let’s meet at the café.”
Help: Used for assisting others.
Example: “Can you help me with this?”
Ask: Used for inquiring about something.
Example: “I will ask him about the party.”
Answer: Used for responding to a question.
Example: “He answered all the questions.”
Tell: Used for conveying information.
Example: “She tells interesting stories.”
Show: Used for presenting something.
Example: “Please show me your painting.”
Give: Used for providing or offering something.
Example: “I will give you a gift.”
Take: Used for obtaining or accepting something.
Example: “Can you take a photo?”
Buy: Used for purchasing items.
Example: “I want to buy a new phone.”
Sell: Used for offering items for purchase.
Example: “He sells handmade crafts.”
Open: Used for uncovering or making accessible.
Example: “Open the door, please.”
Close: Used for covering or making inaccessible.
Example: “Close the window, it’s cold.”
Big: Used for describing size.
Example: “They live in a big house.”
Small: Used for describing size.
Example: “She has a small bag.”
Good: Used for describing quality.
Example: “The food is very good.”
Bad: Used for describing quality.
Example: “That movie was bad.”
Happy: Used for describing emotions.
Example: “I am happy today.”
Sad: Used for describing emotions.
Example: “She looks sad.”
Angry: Used for describing emotions.
Example: “He gets angry easily.”
Tired: Used for describing physical state.
Example: “I am so tired.”
Hungry: Used for describing physical state.
Example: “I’m hungry, let’s eat.”
Thirsty: Used for describing physical state.
Example: “After jogging, I’m thirsty.”
Hot: Used for describing temperature.
Example: “It’s so hot outside.”
Cold: Used for describing temperature.
Example: “The water is too cold.”
Beautiful: Used for describing appearance.
Example: “The sunset is beautiful.”
Ugly: Used for describing appearance.
Example: “The painting is ugly.”
Old: Used for describing age.
Example: “He has an old car.”
Young: Used for describing age.
Example: “She is a young artist.”
New: Used for describing freshness or recency.
Example: “I got a new phone.”
First: Used for indicating precedence.
Example: “This is my first time here.”
Last: Used for indicating finality.
Example: “He was the last to arrive.”
More: Used for indicating quantity.
Example: “Can I have more cookies?”
Less: Used for indicating reduced quantity.
Example: “I have less time today.”
All: Used for indicating the entirety or everyone.
Example: “All the students are here.”
Remember that these examples are just starting points. As you practise and become more comfortable with these words, you’ll be able to communicate well off to begin with in the first place with the above-listed words.
67 Commonly Used English Expressions/Phrases
Here are 67 commonly used English expressions/phrases along with their meanings:
- Piece of cake: Something very easy.
- Break a leg: Good luck.
- Hit the hay: Go to bed.
- Bite the bullet: Face a difficult situation with courage.
- Spill the beans: Reveal a secret.
- Cost an arm and a leg: Very expensive.
- A penny for your thoughts: Asking someone what they’re thinking about.
- It’s raining cats and dogs: Heavy rain.
- Actions speak louder than words: What you do is more important than what you say.
- Back to the drawing board: Start over.
- Better late than never: It’s better to do something late than not at all.
- Blessing in disguise: Something good that isn’t recognized at first.
- Call it a day: Finish working for the day.
- Don’t cry over spilled milk: Don’t worry about things that have already happened.
- The ball is in your court: It’s your turn to take action.
- Break the ice: Start a conversation in a social situation.
- Cut to the chase: Get to the point.
- Every cloud has a silver lining: There’s something positive in every negative Situation.
- Get a taste of your own medicine: Experience what you’ve been doing to others.
- Hit the nail on the head: Describe something accurately.
- Jump on the bandwagon: Join a trend or popular activity.
- Kill two birds with one stone: Achieve two things with one action.
- Let the cat out of the bag: Reveal a secret.
- On the same page: In agreement.
- Put all your eggs in one basket: Rely on one single thing.
- Take it with a grain of salt: Don’t take something too seriously.
- The ball is in your court: It’s your turn to make a decision.
- Under the weather: Feeling unwell.
- You can’t judge a book by its cover: Don’t judge someone or something based on appearance.
- A dime a dozen: Very common or easy to find.
- All ears: Listening attentively.
- Barking up the wrong tree: Looking in the wrong place or accusing the wrong person.
- Cry over spilled milk: Worry about something that can’t be changed.
- Don’t count your chickens before they hatch: Don’t assume something will happen before it does.
- Easy as pie: Very easy.
- Feeling under the weather: Feeling sick.
- Get out of hand: Become uncontrollable.
- Hold your horses: Wait or be patient.
- In hot water: In trouble.
- Jumping to conclusions: Making judgments without enough evidence.
- Keep your chin up: Stay positive.
- Like a fish out of water: Uncomfortable in a situation.
- Make a long story short: Summarise something quickly.
- No pain, no gain: You have to work hard for results.
- Out of the blue: Unexpectedly.
- Play it by ear: Decide as you go along.
- Quit cold turkey: Stop doing something suddenly.
- Raining cats and dogs: Heavy rain.
- Sick as a dog: Very sick.
- The best of both worlds: Getting benefits from two different things.
- Up in the air: Uncertain.
- Vice versa: The other way around.
- Wild goose chase: A hopeless pursuit.
- You can’t have your cake and eat it too: You can’t have everything.
- A stitch in time saves nine: Fix a problem now to prevent worse problems later.
- Actions speak louder than words: What you do is more important than what you say.
- Better safe than sorry: It’s better to be cautious.
- Call it quits: Decide to stop doing something.
- Don’t count your chickens before they hatch: Don’t assume something will happen before it does.
- Every cloud has a silver lining: There’s something positive in every negative situation.
- Finger-crossed: Hoping for good luck.
- Give someone the cold shoulder: Ignore or be unfriendly towards someone.
- Hear it through the grapevine: Hear rumours.
- In the same boat: In the same difficult situation.
- Jump ship: Leave a situation suddenly.
- Kick the bucket: Pass away.
- Let sleeping dogs lie: Avoid bringing up an old conflict.
Strategies to Learn New English Phrases
Learning new English phrases can greatly enhance your language skills and communication abilities.
Here are some effective strategies to help you learn and use new English phrases:-
Contextual Learning: Learn phrases in the context of sentences or situations. This helps you understand how the phrases are used naturally.
In this strategy, you learn phrases within the context of sentences or situations. In the example phrase “bite the bullet,” you understand its meaning by seeing how it’s used in a sentence.
Daily Use: Incorporate new phrases into your daily conversations or writing. The more you use them, the more they’ll become a part of your vocabulary.
Listen and Repeat: Listen to native speakers, podcasts, or videos and repeat the phrases you hear. This improves pronunciation and fluency.
Read Widely: Read books, articles, and newspapers in English. You’ll come across various phrases used in different contexts.
Watch Movies and TV Shows: Watching English media exposes you to colloquial phrases and how they’re used in conversations.
Use Language Apps: Utilise language learning apps that focus on phrases. They often provide interactive exercises and quizzes.
Break Phrases Down: Understand the individual words within a phrase to grasp its meaning better.
Set Goals: Aim to learn a certain number of phrases each week. This keeps you motivated and focused.
Celebrate Progress!!
Here are the Most Commonly Used Nouns in English
“Noun”- Noun symbolism in English means that some words carry more than their regular meanings. They can express feelings, ideas, or things from culture. For example, a “rose” can mean love, not just a flower. These special meanings add extra layers to language.
Here are some of the most commonly used nouns in English:
- Person: A human being.
- Place: A location or area.
- Time: A period or point in time.
- Year: A 365-day period.
- Government: The ruling body of a country.
- Day: A 24-hour period.
- Man: An adult male.
- Way: A method or direction.
- Number: A numerical value.
- Group: A collection of people or things.
- Problem: An issue or challenge.
- Fact: A piece of information that’s true.
- Eye: An organ for vision.
- Government: The ruling body of a country.
- Hand: A body part at the end of the arm.
- Part: A portion of something.
- Place: A location or area.
- Case: A particular situation.
- Week: A seven-day period.
- Company: An organisation or business.
- System: A set of connected parts.
- Program: A planned series of actions.
- Question: An inquiry.
- Work: Effort or labour.
- Government: The ruling body of a country.
- Number: A numerical value.
- Night: The time when it’s dark outside.
- Point: A specific moment or location.
- Home: A place where one lives.
- Water: A liquid substance.
Final thoughts
From greetings like “hello” and “goodbye” to essential verbs like “eat” and “go,” these words enable you to express yourself in everyday situations.
Simple pronouns such as “I,” “you,” and “it” help clarify subjects, and common adjectives like “good” and “bad” convey opinions whether discussing feelings with words like “happy” and “sad” or asking questions using “what,” “where,” and “why,” these words form the stepping stones to effective English communication.
So push those boundaries on everything you can achieve with a little interest and practise with a smile, and get everything you need to know from the blog you just read—practice, Practice, Practice!!!
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