Feelings and Emotions
Learn 20 easy A1 English words for feelings and emotions - happy, tired, nervous, proud - with examples, a short story and a 15-question quiz.
Almost every conversation in English begins with a feeling: How are you? How do you feel? In this lesson you will learn 20 words for feelings and emotions, from happy and tired to nervous and proud. Learn them first, then meet Sara on the night before her first day at a new school.
20 words to learn
The 20 words
/ˈhæpi/
You feel very good. Something nice happened.
I am so happy today – I passed my exam!
/sæd/
You feel bad. The opposite of happy.
She was sad when her friend went home.
/ˈæŋɡri/
You feel very bad about something and you want to shout.
My father was angry because I came home late.
/ˈtaɪəd/
You need to sleep or rest.
I am tired. I worked for ten hours.
/ˈhʌŋɡri/
You need to eat.
Are you hungry? There is rice in the kitchen.
/ˈθɜːsti/
You need to drink.
I am very thirsty. Can I have some water?
/skeəd/
You think something bad will happen. Afraid.
My little sister is scared of big dogs.
/ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/
You feel very happy about something in the future.
The children are excited about the trip.
/bɔːd/
You have nothing interesting to do.
I was bored at home all weekend.
/ˈwʌrid/
You think about a problem again and again.
My mother is worried about my exams.
/ˈnɜːvəs/
A little scared before something important.
I am always nervous before I speak in class.
/səˈpraɪzd/
You did not expect it.
I was surprised to see him at the door.
/praʊd/
You feel very good about something you or your family did.
My parents are proud of my new job.
/ˈləʊnli/
You are alone and you do not like it.
He felt lonely in the new city.
/rɪˈlækst/
Calm and comfortable. Not nervous.
I feel relaxed on Friday evening.
/fiːl/
To have a feeling inside you.
How do you feel today?
/kraɪ/
Water comes from your eyes because you are sad or very happy.
The baby started to cry at midnight.
/lɑːf/
To make a happy sound because something is funny.
We laugh a lot when we are together.
/mɪs/
To feel sad because someone is not with you.
I miss my family when I travel.
/hʌɡ/
When you put your arms around someone.
She gave me a big hug at the airport.
Now read the story
Story · all 20 words
The Night Before
Sara is nineteen years old. Tomorrow is her first day at a new school in a new city, and tonight she cannot sleep. She is tired, but her head is full of questions. She is a little scared and a little excited at the same time.
“How do you feel?” her mother asks from the door. “Nervous,” says Sara. “And hungry. And thirsty.” Her mother begins to laugh, and two minutes later she comes back with a sandwich and a glass of water.
“I am worried about tomorrow,” Sara says. “What if nobody talks to me? I will sit alone all day. I will be lonely, I will be bored, and I will miss my old friends.” Her mother sits down on the bed and gives her a long hug. “Day one is difficult for everybody,” she says. “Do not be angry with yourself.”
The next morning Sara is very surprised. In the first minute of the first lesson, a girl called Lina sits down next to her and says hello. At lunch they eat together and talk about music and films. By three o’clock Sara feels relaxed. She is not sad any more. In the morning she wanted to cry; now she wants to sing.
In the evening Sara calls home. “I am so happy,” she says. “I have one new friend already.” For a moment her mother says nothing, because she is too proud to speak.
Two sounds to practise:
- laugh ends with an /f/ sound: say LAAF. The letters gh are also /f/ in enough and cough.
- Say proud with /p/, not /b/. Practise slowly: proud – broud – proud.
And one grammar point that learners very often get wrong: use -ed for the person and -ing for the thing that causes the feeling. I am bored = the feeling inside me. The film is boring = the film gives people that feeling. If you say I am boring, you are telling people you are not an interesting person! The same rule works for excited / exciting, tired / tiring, surprised / surprising and worried / worrying.
You can now answer the most common question in English: How do you feel?
Use am / is / are + a feeling word: I am tired. She is nervous. They are excited. Never say I have hungry.
To make a feeling smaller or bigger, add one word: I am a bit nervous (small), I am very tired (big), I am so happy (very big).
Now practise with the questions below.
Check your understanding
Answer the questions below. You will see instantly if you are right.
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