01 · Emotions
anxious
/ˈæŋkʃəs/
ENworried about something that might happen
VIlo lắng, bồn chồn
ZH焦虑的,不安的
"I felt anxious as the exam paper was placed in front of me."
relieved
/rɪˈliːvd/
ENhappy that something bad is over
VInhẹ nhõm, đỡ lo
ZH松了一口气,宽慰
"I sighed with relief when I saw my mother waiting at the gate."
embarrassed
/ɪmˈbærəst/
ENfeeling shy or ashamed in front of others
VIxấu hổ, ngượng
ZH尴尬的,不好意思的
"My cheeks burned with embarrassment as the class laughed."
grateful
/ˈɡreɪtfʊl/
ENfeeling thankful
VIbiết ơn
ZH感激的,感恩的
"I was grateful for the kind stranger's help."
disappointed
/ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/
ENsad because something didn't happen
VIthất vọng
ZH失望的
"My father looked disappointed when he read my report card."
curious
/ˈkjʊəriəs/
ENwanting to know or learn something
VItò mò, hiếu kỳ
ZH好奇的
"I was curious about the mysterious package on the doorstep."
02 · Action verbs (composition)
scrambled
/ˈskræmbəld/
ENmoved or climbed quickly and clumsily
VIleo trèo vội vàng, lúng túng
ZH手忙脚乱地爬/攀
"I scrambled up the rocks, my hands trembling."
hesitated
/ˈhezɪteɪtɪd/
ENpaused before doing something, unsure
VIdo dự, ngập ngừng
ZH犹豫,迟疑
"I hesitated at the door, unsure whether to knock."
whispered
/ˈwɪspəd/
ENspoke very softly
VInói thầm, thì thầm
ZH低声说,耳语
"She whispered the answer into my ear."
trembled
/ˈtrembəld/
ENshook slightly, often from fear or cold
VIrun rẩy
ZH颤抖,发抖
"My hands trembled as I opened the envelope."
stumbled
/ˈstʌmbəld/
ENtripped or nearly fell while walking
VIvấp ngã, bước hụt
ZH绊倒,踉跄
"He stumbled over a tree root and dropped his bag."
muttered
/ˈmʌtəd/
ENspoke quietly and unclearly, often when annoyed
VIlẩm bẩm, lầm bầm
ZH嘟囔,咕哝
"He muttered something under his breath and walked away."
03 · Setting & weather
deserted
/dɪˈzɜːtɪd/
ENempty, with no people
VIvắng vẻ, không một bóng người
ZH荒凉的,没有人的
"The school corridor was deserted after dismissal."
drizzling
/ˈdrɪzəlɪŋ/
ENraining very lightly
VImưa phùn, mưa nhẹ
ZH下毛毛雨
"It was drizzling as I stepped out of the school gate."
scorching
/ˈskɔːtʃɪŋ/
ENextremely hot
VInóng như thiêu, oi bức
ZH酷热的,灼热的
"The afternoon sun was scorching as we waited at the bus stop."
bustling
/ˈbʌslɪŋ/
ENfull of busy activity
VItấp nập, nhộn nhịp
ZH熙熙攘攘的,繁忙的
"The bustling hawker centre smelled of chilli and noodles."
eerie
/ˈɪəri/
ENstrange and a little frightening
VIkỳ quái, rợn người
ZH阴森的,怪异的
"An eerie silence fell over the empty playground."
cramped
/kræmpt/
ENsmall and crowded; not enough space
VIchật chội, chật hẹp
ZH拥挤的,狭窄的
"The classroom felt cramped with all forty students inside."
04 · Connectors & transitions
however
/haʊˈevə/
ENused to introduce a contrasting idea
VItuy nhiên, thế nhưng
ZH然而,可是
"I had studied for hours. However, the questions were nothing like I had expected."
furthermore
/ˌfɜːðəˈmɔː/
ENin addition; also (formal)
VIhơn nữa, thêm vào đó
ZH此外,而且
"The food was delicious. Furthermore, the service was excellent."
eventually
/ɪˈventʃuəli/
ENin the end; after a long time
VIcuối cùng, sau cùng
ZH最终,最后
"After hours of searching, we eventually found my missing wallet."
meanwhile
/ˈmiːnwaɪl/
ENat the same time
VItrong khi đó, cùng lúc
ZH与此同时
"My sister was studying. Meanwhile, I was watching cartoons."
nevertheless
/ˌnevəðəˈles/
ENin spite of that; even so
VItuy vậy, dù vậy
ZH尽管如此,然而
"It was raining heavily. Nevertheless, we decided to walk to school."
consequently
/ˈkɒnsɪkwəntli/
ENas a result
VIdo đó, kết quả là
ZH因此,结果
"He had not done his homework. Consequently, the teacher kept him after class."
05 · Showing emotion through the body
clenched
/klentʃt/
ENclosed tightly (fists or teeth)
VInắm chặt, nghiến chặt
ZH紧握,咬紧
"I clenched my fists, trying to hold back tears."
flushed
/flʌʃt/
EN(of cheeks) turned red
VIđỏ bừng (mặt, má)
ZH脸红,涨红
"My cheeks flushed red as everyone turned to look at me."
gritted
/ˈɡrɪtɪd/
ENpressed teeth firmly together (used with 'teeth')
VInghiến răng
ZH咬紧牙关
"I gritted my teeth and pushed on, even though my legs ached."
sighed
/saɪd/
ENlet out a long breath, often showing tiredness or relief
VIthở dài
ZH叹气,叹息
"She sighed and put down her pen."
beamed
/biːmd/
ENsmiled brightly and happily
VIcười rạng rỡ
ZH笑容满面,喜笑颜开
"My grandmother beamed when I handed her the gift."
slumped
/slʌmpt/
ENdropped down heavily, looking tired or sad
VIngồi phịch xuống, gục xuống
ZH瘫坐,瘫倒
"He slumped into his chair, defeated."
HOW TO USE

Three steps to make new words stick

  1. Read the card aloud — three times. Say the word, then say the example sentence. Reading aloud helps your memory more than reading silently.
  2. Write your own sentence using the word. A sentence about your own life — your school, your family, your day. Personal sentences are easier to remember.
  3. Use one new word in your next composition. Just one — but use it correctly. One well-placed strong word lifts a whole paragraph.

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