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Minilex

(in preparation)

A Basic or First List of Words for Beginners in a New Language

Erik V. Gunnemark
(ed. Amorey Gethin)

What follows is a list of the words that are the most useful to know in any new language that you are starting to learn. The list is based on many years of research, but any such list is bound to be subjective to some extent. This particular version of the list was made with translation into Italian in mind; the list will vary slightly according to the language it is intended to be translated into.

At the very beginning, the only practical way to learn quickly is to translate. But as soon as possible you should try to forget your own language, and connect the words in the new language directly to concepts in real life. Your own language should disappear from your mind. Avoid the translation mentality at all costs!

You may find it useful to study this list in combination with the page on learning vocabulary at www.lingua.org.uk/voc , particularly section II, First Steps.

about, circa about (be) above, over according to address advertisement afraid of after, afterwards again against ago agree air alive all; whole almost alone along already also; too always and angry angry, be/get another - see other answer (v.) any (adj.) any (pron.) any of (it, them) anybody anything arrive as; such as; like as...as ask ask for at back, come/go; return bad - food, character bad - weather bag bathroom; toilet be beautiful because before begin beginning behind, back believe see also Miniphrase T below; under between; among big book boring borrow both bottom boy bread break bring brother busy but buy by - agent by - time by - transport: air, bus, etc. call can; be able; be allowed; may cancel car cash century certain; sure change (v.) change, small cheap check cheque child city clean close; shut clothes collect colour come comfortable common completely continue; go on cook could; was able country; nation country - not town course, of crime cry; weep cut damage (n.) damage (v.) dangerous dark daughter day dead decide dictionary different difficult dirty disappointed do doctor down; downstairs drink (n.) drink (v.) drop dry during early earth, world easy eat empty end enough environment especially even every everybody everything everywhere exactly example examine example except exercise expensive fall family famous far father fetch few, a finally find finish first flat, apartment flight food for ('purpose') for (time) foreign forget forwards free, unrestricted free, gratis friend from from front of, in full (of) funny; comic future

game garage get, become get, obtain, fetch get, receive get in get out get up get used to . girl give go go in(to) go out going to, have the intention going to, about to, on the point of good (better, best) z and s good, skilful, clever gradually great z and s ground, earth grow had better half ?a. & n. happen happy (about) hard (opposite of soft) hard (work) have (as auxiliary) have (eat) have (possess) have got have to hear heavy here high hit hold holiday hope hot hour house how husband if ill immediately, at once important impossible in (position) in (time) in (after) -ing injury instructions intelligent interesting into, go invite joke (n. & vb) journey just (time) see also only keep key kill kiss (n.) know (facts) know (people etc.) lady - see woman land language last, latest, final last, just passed late (adv.) laugh learn least, at leave, depart eave, let remain lend let (allow) let (hire) letter lie (not stand) lie down life light, not dark light, not heavy like, similar listen to little, a live, reside live, be alive long look after look at, watch look for look forward to - look well etc. look up lose (a) lot - loud - love ?low luggage magazine make man many many?, how many, so map married (to) may (permission) may (possibility) mean - meaning – measure - mistake much (adv). must near necessary need vb. never new news newspaper next next time. nice night last night, tonight no adv. nobody noise none north not note, make a nothing now

of off often old on once one (impers.) - you only open adj. open vb. opposite opposite, contrary or other, another otherwise ought to; should out, outside out, go over - see "above" page pain n. - P paper part (fraction) party pol. party soc. pay peace peaceful pen pen, ball point pencil people imper people the people perhaps person picture piece place play pleased (with) poor possible postcard probably problem pull put quarter question quickly quiet quite read ready ?real really reason (for) receipt relative remember remind rest (remainder rest (have a) rich right - see Miniphrase road room room (space) sad safe same say school see sell send serious - P several n. & adj. shall shop short should - see ought to should aux. show vb. ?shut ?or is sick, feel side since sing sister sit see also Miniphrase S sleep - see Miniphrase small smile so not so bad a so so bad that so and therefore soft some pron. some adj. somebody something sometimes son soon sort sound (n.) sound vb. - south speak spend mone spend time spring ?stand ?stand up stay reside stay remain steal still Do you still live in…..? stop cease stop prevent strange street strong stupid such such a suggest suitcase summer sun surprise ?n. surprised take talk (to) tall tax teach teacher tell terrible than that, those dem. that rel. that con. the then after then before there There are think believe think (about) thirsty this, these through ticket time (clock) time occasion tired to direction + to I've never b to infin. today tomorrow too (excessive) top towards town true try under understand unfortunately until up upstairs use vb. used to (adj. accustomed) used to emphatic past useful usually very visit wait (for) walk wallet want war wash wash up water way method weather week well - health well adv. better bes west wet what when where? position where direction which? which rel. while white who? who rel. whole why? wide; broad wife will winter with with without woman wonderful word work (v.) work n. work job work vb. function world worry vb. worried (about) would write (down) wrong year yellow yes yesterday yet not yet Young

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