128 Words to Use Instead of “Very”

Here’s a little something from the internet for those of you who want to improve your vocabulary – just click on the image below to get a larger view:

Excuse My French Revisited

Speaking of French, we used many French words and phrases in English. Here are some examples from Wikipedia:

adieu, avant-garde, baguette, bon appetit, bon voyage, boulevard, brunette, café, carte blanche, chauffer, chic, cliché, clique, coquette, coup d’etat, croissant, cul-de-sac, décor, déjà vu, derriere, en route, ennui, entrée, entrepreneur, façade, faux, faux pas, femme fatale, fiancé, fiancée, film noir, forte, gaffe, genre, hors d’oeuvre, impasse, je ne sais quoi, laissez-faire, liason, lingerie, malaise, Mardi Gras, melee, milieu, montage, motif, mousse, nouveau riche, omelette, panache, parole, pastiche, poseur, prairie, protégé, provocateur, rapport, reconnaissance, renaissance, repertoire, sabotage, sauté, savant,  savoir-faire, silhouette, soiree, tour de force, vinaigrette, and voyeur.

What’s the Weather Like Today?

Here’s a video from Real English about the weather. In this video, you will hear some of the following words (the equal sign means they have similar meanings):

cloudy = overcast = dull = gray

sunny = bright = clear

rainy = raining = damp = drizzly

windy = breezy = brisk

cool = crisp

cold = chilly = freezing

warm = mild

wonderful = beautiful = pleasant = nice

Now watch the video. The first time just watch and listen, the second time you can read, too:

What’s the weather like today? Leave a reply!

Chinese Words in English

If you speak Chinese, then you already know some words in English. That’s because there are several English words that came from Chinese. Here are some examples:

bok choy
白菜
(n) Chinese cabbage
Example:
“Should I buy some bok choy when I go to the supermarket?”

gung ho
工合
(adj) To be very enthusiastic
Example:
“He’s really gung ho about his new English class.”

ketchup
茄汁
tomato sauce
Example:
“Do you like ketchup on your fries?”

kowtow
叩頭
(v) To bow down; to show obedience to someone
Example:
“He’s always kowtowing to the teacher.”

kung fu
功夫
(n) Chinese martial arts
Example:
“Do you like kung fu movies?”

tofu
豆腐
(n) bean curd
Example:
“You can get the noodles with chicken, beef, or tofu.”

tycoon
大君
(n) a person who has made a lot of money in a certain industry
Example:
“His grandfather was a real estate tycoon.”

typhoon
颱風
(n) a tropical storm
Example:
“Our flight was delayed because there was a typhoon.”