100 Must-Know English words for beginners

 Are you just starting to learn English? One of the best ways to speak, read, and understand English confidently is to build your vocabulary. In this lesson, you'll learn 100 of the most important English words for beginners — grouped by category, explained with simple definitions, and shown in everyday examples.

💡 Why these 100 words?
These are the words you'll hear and use the most in daily conversations, simple books, movies, or while traveling.

📚 How to Use This Guide

• Step 1: Read the word and definition.

• Step 2: Study the example sentence.

• Step 3: Try creating your own sentence using the word.

• Step 4: Review regularly — use flashcards or apps like Anki or Quizlet.

👋 Greetings and Common Expressions (10 Words)

Word	Meaning	Example
Hello	A way to greet someone	Hello! How are you today?
Hi	Informal hello	Hi Anna, nice to see you!
Goodbye	When leaving	Goodbye, see you tomorrow.
Please	A polite way to ask	Please give me some water.
Thank you	Showing gratitude	Thank you for your help.
Sorry	To show regret	I’m sorry I’m late.
Yes	Positive answer	Yes, I like pizza.
No	Negative answer	No, I don’t speak Spanish.
Excuse me	To get attention or apologize	Excuse me, where’s the bathroom?
OK	Agreement or confirmation	OK, let’s go!

🧍 People and Relationships (10 Words)

Word	Meaning	Example
Man	An adult male	He is a kind man.
Woman	An adult female	That woman is a teacher.
Friend	A person you like and trust	My best friend is from Canada.
Family	People related to you	My family lives in India.
Mother	Female parent	My mother is a nurse.
Father	Male parent	My father loves to cook.
Child	A young person	The child is playing.
Brother	Male sibling	My brother is 12 years old.
Sister	Female sibling	Her sister is very smart.
People	More than one person	There are many people at the park.

🏠 Home and Daily Life (10 Words)

Word	Meaning	Example
House	A place to live	I live in a small house.
Room	A space inside a building	My room is clean.
Bed	Where you sleep	I sleep in my bed at night.
Chair	A seat	Sit on the chair, please.
Table	A flat surface	The food is on the table.
Door	Entrance or exit	Open the door, please.
Window	Glass opening for light	Close the window. It’s cold.
Bathroom	Room for washing	The bathroom is upstairs.
Kitchen	Where you cook	She is in the kitchen.
Light	Brightness or a lamp	Turn off the light.

🍎 Food and Drink (10 Words)

Word	Meaning	Example
Water	A drink	I drink water every day.
Food	Something you eat	The food smells good.
Bread	A common food	I eat bread for breakfast.
Rice	A grain food	We eat rice with vegetables.
Fruit	Sweet food like apples	I like fruit, especially bananas.
Apple	A red or green fruit	She eats an apple every morning.
Milk	A white drink	He drinks milk before bed.
Coffee	A hot drink	I need coffee in the morning!
Tea	A popular hot drink	Would you like some tea?
Meat	Animal food	They don’t eat meat.

🕒 Time and Days (10 Words)

Word	Meaning	Example
Day	24 hours	It’s a beautiful day.
Night	Dark part of the day	Good night! Sleep well.
Morning	Early part of the day	I wake up in the morning.
Evening	Late part of the day	We walk in the evening.
Today	The current day	Today is Friday.
Tomorrow	The next day	I will go tomorrow.
Yesterday	The day before	It rained yesterday.
Week	7 days	There are 7 days in a week.
Month	About 30 days	My birthday is next month.
Year	12 months	This year is great.

🚶 Verbs – Actions You Do (20 Words)

Word	Meaning	Example
Go	To move	I go to school.
Come	To move toward	She comes home at 6.
Eat	To consume food	We eat lunch at noon.
Drink	To consume liquid	He drinks water.
Sleep	To rest	I sleep at 10 p.m.
Walk	To move on foot	Let’s walk to the park.
Run	To move fast	Children run outside.
Talk	To speak	They talk a lot.
Read	To look at words	I read a book.
Write	To use a pen/pencil	She writes in her notebook.
Listen	To hear carefully	Listen to the teacher.
Look	To use your eyes	Look at that bird!
Work	To do a job	He works at a hospital.
Play	To have fun	Kids play games.
Help	To give support	I can help you.
Live	To stay in a place	I live in London.
Love	To feel strong liking	I love my cat.
Like	To enjoy	They like music.
Need	To require	I need money.
Want	To wish for	I want a new phone.

🧱 Simple Adjectives – Describing Words (10 Words)

Word	Meaning	Example
Big	Large size	That’s a big house.
Small	Little size	My room is small.
Good	Nice, positive	This movie is good.
Bad	Negative	That smell is bad.
Hot	High temperature	It’s hot outside.
Cold	Low temperature	My hands are cold.
Happy	Feeling good	She is very happy.
Sad	Feeling bad	He looks sad today.
Easy	Not hard	This test is easy.
Hard	Difficult	English is hard, but fun!

🚦Basic Prepositions (10 Words)

Word	Meaning	Example
In	Inside something	The keys are in my bag.
On	On top of something	The book is on the table.
Under	Below something	The shoes are under the bed.
Over	Above something	The lamp is over the table.
Next to	Beside	The bank is next to the school.
Behind	At the back	The cat is behind the door.
In front of	Before something	The car is in front of the house.
With	Together	I go with my friend.
Without	Not having	I can't live without music.
Between	In the middle	The phone is between the books.

✅ Review Tips for Long-Term Vocabulary Retention

1. Use it daily – Try to use new words in real sentences or in conversation.

2. Write it down – Keep a vocabulary journal.

3. Speak it out loud – Practice pronunciation regularly.

4. Use flashcards – Digital or paper, both help reinforce memory.

5. Group by topic – Just like this guide, group words by category.

6. Repeat often – Repetition builds strong memory links.

📥 Ready to Practice?

Try this:

• Write 5 sentences using any 5 new words you learned today.

• Say them aloud.

• Share them with a teacher or language partner.