Friends & People You Know
Learn 20 essential A1 English words for friends and people you know, with pronunciation, simple definitions, examples and a short story.
These 20 words are the ones you need to talk about the people in your life – friends, neighbours, and the people you work and study with.
20 words to learn
The 20 words
/frend/
A friend is a person you like and enjoy being with.
Sara is my best friend.
/ˈneɪ.bər/
Your neighbour is a person who lives near you.
Our neighbour gives us fruit from his garden.
/ˈkɒl.iːɡ/
A colleague is a person you work with.
My colleague helped me with the report.
/ˈklɑːs.meɪt/
A classmate is a person in your class.
My classmate lent me a pen.
/miːt/
When you meet someone, you go to the same place to see them.
I meet my friends every Friday.
/tɔːk/
When you talk, you say words to another person.
We talk on the phone every evening.
/nəʊ/
When you know someone, they are not new to you.
I know him from university.
/laɪk/
When you like someone, you think they are nice.
Everybody likes our new teacher.
/help/
When you help someone, you do something good for them.
My friends help me when I am busy.
/kaɪnd/
A kind person is good to other people.
She is very kind to everyone.
/ˈfʌn.i/
A funny person makes you laugh.
My brother is very funny.
/ˈkwaɪ.ət/
A quiet person does not talk very much.
He is quiet, but he is a good friend.
/ˈpɒp.jə.lər/
A popular person has many friends.
Ali is popular at work.
/kɔːl/
When you call someone, you speak to them on the phone.
I call my friend every Sunday.
/ˈmes.ɪdʒ/
A message is words you send to someone.
She sent me a message this morning.
/ɪnˈvaɪt/
When you invite someone, you ask them to come.
They invited us to dinner.
/ˈpɑː.ti/
A party is a time when people meet to have fun.
There is a party at Sara’s house.
/ˈvɪz.ɪt/
When you visit someone, you go to see them.
We visit my aunt every month.
/trʌst/
When you trust someone, you believe they are honest.
I trust my old friends.
/smaɪl/
When you smile, your mouth moves because you are happy.
She always smiles when she sees me.
Now read the story
Story · all 20 words
Thursday Coffee
I have three good friends. We meet every Thursday at the same small café near the station.
Rana was my classmate at university. She is very funny, and she talks more than anyone I know. When she tells a story, everybody in the café smiles.
Omar is my colleague. We work in the same office. He is quiet and he does not say much, but he is the person I trust most. When I have a problem, he always helps me.
The third is Marwa. She was my neighbour for six years. Now she lives in another part of the city, but she still comes every week. She is the most popular person I know, because she has friends everywhere.
Last Thursday I could not come. I sent a message and said I was ill. Ten minutes later my phone rang. It was Omar. He wanted to call and ask if I needed anything.
On Friday, all three came to visit my flat. Rana brought soup. Marwa brought fruit. Omar brought nothing, but he stayed until nine o’clock and washed all the plates.
Next month I will invite them to a small party at my house. I am not a good cook, but that is not important. They are kind people and I like them very much.
Good friends are not only the people who are happy with you. They are the people who come on Friday when you are ill.
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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