Daily Life Vocabulary You NEED to Know

0:00 Hello, wonderful English students.

0:02 Are you ready to learn real-life English today

0:07 that real English speakers use in the real world?

0:11 I hope so.

0:12 You're in the right place.

0:13 Today, you are going to learn 10 plus one bonus important daily

0:20 life phrases that I used when I was talking about my morning routine.

0:25 These are words that you can integrate into your daily conversations

0:29 and I guarantee you will hear these in movies and TV shows.

0:33 So, if you want to understand movies and TV shows without subtitles,

0:37 these are some words and phrases that you need to know.

0:39 If you're new here, hi,

0:41 I'm Vanessa from speakenglishwithvanessa.com and over the past 10 years,

0:47 I have been teaching English here on YouTube,

0:50 real-life English that you need to know.

0:52 And now, there are over 7 million of you learning English with me.

0:57 I can't believe it.

0:58 Thank you so much.

1:00 I want to give you today my free PDF

1:03 worksheet for all that you're going to learn today.

1:06 It's going to include all of the phrases, definitions,

1:09 bonus sample sentences, plus within this worksheet,

1:13 there is a speaking practice.

1:15 This is a downloadable speaking practice that you

1:19 can listen to and repeat after me,

1:22 speak out loud, and then grow your speaking skills.

1:25 This is the most proven speaking method by repeating

1:30 after someone else that you want to imitate.

1:33 So, by downloading this speaking practice,

1:35 you are not only growing your vocabulary, but also growing your speaking skills.

1:40 So, how can you get this free PDF worksheet plus bonus speaking practice?

1:45 All you need to do is click on the link in the description,

1:48 enter your name and email address, and voila, just like that, the PDF and bonus

1:53 speaking practice will land in your email inbox.

1:57 This is my gift to you.

1:59 Plus, do you know what?

2:00 You never need to sign up for my free worksheets ever again.

2:04 I make a free worksheet for every single one of my YouTube videos,

2:08 but you only need to sign up one time and I

2:11 will continue to send them to you automatically every single Friday.

2:15 So, don't wait.

2:16 Click on the link in the description

2:17 to get that worksheet and speaking practice right now.

2:21 All right, let's get started.

2:22 Last week I gave you a little sneak peek into my morning routine getting ready,

2:28 putting in my contacts, putting on my makeup,

2:31 and I used some key phrases just naturally as I was explaining this.

2:36 So, that is what we're going to take a look at today.

2:38 The first phrase is to irritate.

2:42 Let's see how I used it in that morning

2:45 routine clip and then we'll talk about it together.

2:47 Let's watch.

2:49 Uh Dan, my husband, wears daily contacts because

2:51 he only wears them once a month, maybe.

2:55 They kind of irritate his eyes,

2:57 so I have the contact here on my finger and I just Whoop.

3:02 In this clip you saw me talk about contact lenses.

3:07 I can wear contact lenses,

3:08 but my husband Dan often doesn't because they irritate his eyes.

3:13 This is a physical sensation, this annoying, irritating physical sensation,

3:20 but I would say we use this almost more often in a figurative sense.

3:26 What if I said this?

3:27 Every time my boss talks about how good his previous company was,

3:32 it irritates me so much.

3:35 This is talking about the feeling that I have inside.

3:40 It's so annoying because he's at our company right now.

3:43 He should be singing the praises of this company.

3:46 It irritates me that he's always talking about how good his old company was.

3:51 So, here we have two options, the physical sensation or that feeling,

3:55 and both of those are pretty annoying.

3:57 All right, let's watch that original clip one more time so that you can

4:01 see how I used it to talk about contact lenses in my morning routine.

4:05 Let's watch.

4:06 Uh Dan, my husband, wears daily contacts because

4:08 he only wears them once a month, maybe.

4:12 They kind of irritate his eyes,

4:14 so I have the contact here on my finger, and I just whoop.

4:20 The second real-life phrase is an instinct.

4:24 Instinct.

4:25 Usually, we think about this for animals.

4:28 Birds have an instinct that helps them find seeds and nuts and insects to eat,

4:35 but we can use this for humans as well.

4:38 So, let's watch the clip to see how I used it in my morning routine,

4:41 and then we'll break it down together.

4:43 Let's watch.

4:44 There's something very weird [laughter]

4:48 about putting something in your eye and not blinking.

4:50 Like, your instant reaction, your instinct is to to blink,

4:54 but you have to keep your eye open.

4:56 In this clip, you heard me say, "Your instinct is to blink,

5:01 but you have to keep your eyes open when you put your contact lenses in." So,

5:05 here we're talking about something that you cannot you cannot control.

5:11 It just happens automatically.

5:14 Your instinct [laughter] is to blink when something gets closer to your eyes,

5:19 so you have to consciously avoid your instinct and keep your eye open.

5:25 Trust that it's going to be okay.

5:27 But, we often use the word instinct to talk about trusting yourself.

5:33 For example, you might say, "Trust your instincts." Sometimes,

5:38 we even say, "Trust your gut." Your gut is in here.

5:42 Trust your instincts.

5:44 Maybe if you think that you should avoid

5:47 that job that just offered you a pretty good deal,

5:50 there's something about that job that I just don't think is good.

5:55 There's something about that place.

5:56 It just makes me feel a little weird.

5:58 Your friend might say to you, "Yeah, trust your instincts.

6:02 Don't go with that job if you don't think it's a good idea.

6:05 Even if you can't exactly place why you think it's a bad idea,

6:10 trust your instincts." Okay, maybe a good advice, maybe not.

6:15 [laughter] But sometimes it is a good thing to trust our instincts.

6:18 All right, let's see how that original clip was used,

6:21 and hopefully you can trust your instincts

6:23 as well and continue to learn English with me.

6:26 Let's watch.

6:27 There's something very weird about putting

6:31 something in your eye and not blinking.

6:33 Like your instant reaction, your instinct is to to blink,

6:37 but you have to keep your eye open.

6:39 The third real-life English phrase is to drip down.

6:44 To drip down.

6:45 Let's see how this was used in the original context first.

6:48 So, sometimes some of the contact solution drips down my face,

6:54 and I want to just dry it off a little bit.

6:57 I said, "Sometimes some of the contact solution

7:01 drips down my face." And this is a simple,

7:06 straightforward phrasal verb, and it means it is going down my face.

7:12 You could say it drips on my face,

7:15 but by saying it drips down my face, it sounds so natural.

7:19 We often use this to talk about rain.

7:22 The rain is dripping down the windows.

7:25 It often implies that it's on a surface.

7:28 The contact solution drips down my face.

7:30 The rain drips down the windows.

7:33 It can be a really calming thing to watch

7:36 the rain drip down the windows while you're inside,

7:39 cozy with a cup of tea, maybe a good book,

7:43 maybe a good video lesson like this one.

7:46 And just watch the rain drip down the windows.

7:49 All right, let's go and watch that original clip one more time.

7:52 Sometimes some of the contact solution drips down my face

7:57 and I want to just dry it off a little bit.

8:01 The fourth daily life phrase is a long one,

8:05 but quite important and it is to make a difference.

8:10 But we're going to add something in the middle.

8:12 To make an awful lot of a difference.

8:16 Ooh.

8:17 So, the key phrase here, to make a difference, means to change something.

8:22 But when we add awful lot of a difference, we are emphasizing this phrase.

8:28 Let's see how I used it in my morning

8:30 routine and then we'll talk about it together.

8:32 Let's watch.

8:34 I like to wear just a little bit of this under my eyes.

8:38 And I don't I don't know if it really makes

8:39 an awful lot of a difference, but I do it for me.

8:43 In this clip you heard me say, "I don't know if it makes an awful lot

8:49 of a difference." I'm using it in a negative sense.

8:52 I think it doesn't make a difference.

8:54 It I don't think it makes an awful lot, so much of a difference.

8:58 But what if we use this in a positive sense?

9:01 I want you to take a look at this sentence.

9:03 A supportive teacher can make an awful

9:07 lot of a difference in her students' lives.

9:10 So, we could say simply,

9:12 a supportive teacher can make a difference in her students' lives.

9:17 Of course, right?

9:18 But when we add an awful lot, oh, we're really punching in that effect.

9:24 We're [laughter] really trying to emphasize

9:26 that a supportive teacher is really important.

9:29 A supportive teacher can really make a huge difference,

9:33 an awful lot of a difference in a student's life.

9:37 So, there's a couple options here.

9:40 Can make a lot of a difference.

9:41 Can make a huge difference.

9:42 Can make an awful lot of a difference in a student's life.

9:46 I think that's these daily life phrases that you hear, maybe you understand,

9:51 but you don't use yourself, that can really elevate your English.

9:54 So, try to use this the next time that you speak.

9:57 All right, let's watch that original clip one more time.

10:00 I like to wear just a little bit of this under my eyes.

10:04 And I don't I don't know if it really makes

10:05 an awful lot of a difference, but I do it for me.

10:09 The fifth real life English phrase is a lovely phrasal verb,

10:13 and it is to cover up.

10:15 Ooh, we're talking about hiding something.

10:17 Let's see how this was used in the original clip, and then we'll talk about it.

10:21 People say, "Oh, you look so tired.

10:23 Are you okay?" And then you think, "Ugh, it's just my face." [laughter]

10:27 It's not because I'm actually more tired than usual.

10:32 You're just not covering up you're tired in the same way, which is how I feel.

10:36 In this clip, you heard me talk about covering up how I feel tired.

10:42 I put makeup right here under my eyes to cover up that I feel tired,

10:49 or that I look tired.

10:52 This is just a fact of life.

10:54 Right now in my life, I am often tired.

10:56 So, what do I do?

10:58 I drink some caffeine in my tea,

11:00 and I put some makeup under my eyes to hide that I look tired.

11:05 And that I actually usually feel tired.

11:08 This is a physical hiding of something.

11:10 I'm covering it up.

11:13 But, we can also cover up other things as well.

11:16 All right, let's say that you are driving your car,

11:19 and you accidentally hit something, and you get a dent in your car.

11:24 Your husband comes home, and he says, "Hey,

11:27 what's that dent in the car?" You could

11:30 cover up your mistake by changing the subject.

11:34 You could say, "Oh, well, uh uh look, I just I just baked some dinner.

11:37 Isn't this so good?

11:38 Let's go eat dinner." [snorts]

11:41 You were trying to avoid talking about your mistake.

11:44 You're trying to cover up your mistake by changing the subject.

11:49 Not that I have ever done this in my life.

11:53 [laughter] But, it's something that you can do not just physically cover up,

11:55 but you can hide something, cover up your mistake by changing the subject.

12:01 All right, let's watch that original clip again so

12:04 that you can see how to use cover up.

12:06 People say, "Oh, you look so tired.

12:08 Are you okay?" And then you think, "Uh, it's just my face." [laughter]

12:12 It's not because I'm actually more tired than usual.

12:17 You're just not covering up you're tired in the same way, which is how I feel.

12:21 The sixth real-life daily expression is I always go back to.

12:28 Take a look at how this was used in the original context,

12:31 and then I'll show you another way that you can use it as well.

12:34 Let's watch.

12:35 This is like extremely cheap mascara.

12:38 I don't know.

12:38 I've tried other kinds that are fancier.

12:41 And for some reason, this is what I always go back to.

12:44 In this clip, you saw me talking about my mascara,

12:48 and I said I've tried other fancier types,

12:50 and this is the one that I always go back to.

12:53 So, I've tried those other brands, but this is the one that I return to.

12:59 I decide to repurchase this cheap brand

13:05 because it's something that works for me.

13:07 So, I return to it, or I go back to this option.

13:12 I go back to this brand.

13:15 But, we can also talk about this in a physical sense.

13:18 Your body is returning somewhere.

13:21 So, take a look at this.

13:22 When we travel, we always go back to that small town by the sea.

13:29 We are physically returning to that small town

13:33 by the sea because it's the perfect vacation destination for us.

13:37 So, we can use that full phrase, we always go back to that small town.

13:43 All right, let's see how it was used in the original context one more time.

13:47 This is like extremely cheap mascara.

13:50 I don't know.

13:51 I've tried other kinds that are fancier.

13:53 And for some reason this is what I always go back to.

13:56 The seventh and eighth daily life English expressions are very fun ones.

14:01 The seventh one is clumpy, clumpy.

14:05 It's these kind of descriptive words that will really

14:08 help you to expand your English and express yourself.

14:12 So, let's see how I used clumpy in the original

14:16 conversation and then I'll talk about it with you.

14:19 I find when I do that, it kind of more

14:22 evenly goes on my eyelashes instead of being clumpy.

14:27 That's not what you want.

14:29 I was talking about my makeup and I said, I don't want it to be clumpy.

14:34 You want it to be smooth and even.

14:37 So, I don't want it to be clumpy.

14:39 Clumpy means it's in little piles, not the way it should be.

14:43 It's clumpy.

14:45 You don't want makeup to be clumpy,

14:47 but we can use this with other things as well like food.

14:50 So, you might say this about mashed potatoes.

14:53 Mashed potatoes are a common food in the US.

14:56 We especially eat them for holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas,

15:00 but a lot of families eat them on a regular basis.

15:04 And often times people like their mashed potatoes to be smooth,

15:09 totally blended, totally pureed.

15:14 But some people like them to be a little bit clumpy.

15:17 So, you might say, I like it when my mashed

15:19 potatoes are a little bit clumpy, not totally smooth.

15:23 So, clumpy doesn't always have to be a negative thing,

15:26 but you can imagine pieces of potato, cooked potato,

15:31 but pieces of potato within my mashed potatoes.

15:34 It's not totally smooth.

15:35 It has a little bit of texture to it.

15:37 It's a little bit clumpy, but that's okay.

15:39 Okay, let's go on and watch that clip one more

15:42 time so that you can use this fun word yourself,

15:44 and then we'll talk about the second one that is also fun.

15:47 Let's go.

15:48 I find when I do that, it kind of more

15:51 evenly goes on my eyelashes instead of being clumpy.

15:56 That's not what you want.

15:59 The eighth real-life expression is scraggly.

16:03 This word just sounds exactly like it is.

16:06 So, let's watch the clip and then we'll talk about how you can use scraggly.

16:10 So fun.

16:11 Let's watch.

16:13 This is the second day,

16:14 so I had these in my hair yesterday, and they were less scraggly.

16:19 This is called In this clip, you heard me say, "This is the second day.

16:24 It's a little less scraggly." I was talking about this messy appearance.

16:30 When something is scraggly, it is not smooth,

16:34 it is not put together, it is messy.

16:37 Usually, we use this for our physical appearance.

16:40 When I film a lesson for you, I try to do my hair nicely,

16:45 I put on some makeup, I wear a nice shirt.

16:48 I try not to look too scraggly.

16:51 But let me tell you, in daily life,

16:53 I often look scraggly because I am running around after my kids,

16:58 I'm doing errands, I'm gardening in the dirt.

17:01 I do not look professional and put together.

17:04 I look a little more scraggly.

17:07 I think we all do, right?

17:09 On the weekend, you might look different than you do during the week while

17:12 you're going to your job and trying to look a little more put together.

17:17 We can also use the word scraggly not just for our physical appearance,

17:21 but for items as well.

17:23 We might say for example, if a fence has some broken pieces, we might say,

17:28 "Ugh, that old scraggly fence just needs

17:31 to be torn down." It might have some splinters.

17:35 It's just breaking apart.

17:36 Ugh, that old scraggly fence, let's just get rid of it.

17:39 Don't you see how this word is so fun to say?

17:42 Scraggly.

17:43 Scraggly.

17:45 It just sounds exactly like it is.

17:46 So, let's watch how I used the word scraggly, and I hope you can use it as well,

17:51 because let's face it,

17:53 we all look scraggly at some points, maybe more than others.

17:57 Let's watch.

17:59 This is the second day,

18:00 so I had these in my hair yesterday, and they were less scraggly.

18:05 This is called Our ninth phrase is to leave it like this.

18:12 I like using the word leave here,

18:15 because we're not talking about leaving the house.

18:17 Instead, we're talking about it in a slightly different connotation.

18:21 So, let's watch the clip,

18:22 and then we'll talk about how you can use to leave it like this.

18:25 Let's watch.

18:26 Um usually when I take my hair out of the braids,

18:30 I might leave it like this, or I might gently do a little bit of combing.

18:36 In this clip, you heard me say, "When I take my hair out of the braids,

18:41 I usually leave it like this." Just like this.

18:44 I did it earlier today.

18:46 And here, when we're talking about the word leave,

18:49 it doesn't mean I'm leaving the house.

18:51 I'm going out of the house.

18:52 I'm leaving.

18:53 Instead, we're talking about not changing anything.

18:57 Let's leave it.

18:59 Ooh.

18:59 So, we can leave your hair, or if you're arranging the furniture in your house,

19:05 and when you have it in a place that you kind of like it, you could say, "Okay,

19:10 let's leave the furniture like this for a week and see if we like it.

19:15 If it doesn't work, we can always move it around later.

19:18 So, we're talking about not touching something, having it stay exactly as it is.

19:23 Let's leave the furniture or let's leave it as it is.

19:27 Love this.

19:28 Okay, let's watch that clip one more time and I'm sure there's

19:31 something in your life that you're going to leave it as it is.

19:34 Your hair, the furniture, who knows what.

19:37 Let's watch.

19:38 Um usually when I take my hair out of the braids,

19:42 I might leave it like this or I might gently do a little bit of combing.

19:48 Our 10th and almost final,

19:51 don't forget we have a bonus phrase after this, our 10th

19:54 expression is at least I have at least I love this.

20:00 It is helping you to be positive about life.

20:03 Let's watch how I use it and I will help you use it as well.

20:07 Let's watch.

20:08 Even if I just wear my normal shirts,

20:11 normal pants, nothing fancy, at least I have earrings.

20:16 Um so, I'm going to put in my earrings.

20:19 In this clip, you heard me say at least I have earrings.

20:23 Today I have earrings on.

20:25 I do most days.

20:26 And even when I am looking scraggly,

20:30 even when I don't have anything super exciting to do that day,

20:34 at least I have some earrings in.

20:38 And when we're talking about this phrase at least or at least I have,

20:43 here we're trying to find the positive.

20:46 I'm looking scraggly, I don't even know what's going on today,

20:50 but the positive thing is at least I have earrings in.

20:56 [laughter] So, we can use this to try

20:56 to find the positive in possibly a negative situation.

21:00 So, as you are reflecting on maybe last year, you might think, well,

21:06 I didn't get the job that I expected and my vacation,

21:10 it just rained the whole week, but at least I am healthy.

21:15 Well, that's not a small thing, right?

21:17 That's important.

21:18 So, we're finding that positive by using at least.

21:22 At least I'm healthy.

21:24 Yes, that is very true.

21:25 So, let's watch that clip one more time to hear how

21:28 I used at least and I hope you can use it,

21:31 too, to remind yourself of the positive things in life.

21:35 Let's watch.

21:36 Even if I just wear my normal shirts,

21:39 normal pants, nothing fancy, at least I have earrings.

21:45 [laughter and gasps] Um so, I'm going to put in my earrings.

21:47 Our final bonus expression today is a fun one,

21:52 a very specific expression, and it is dangly.

21:57 Dangly.

21:59 We had clumpy, scraggly, and now dangly.

22:02 These are very specific adjectives that will help

22:05 you to describe exactly what you're talking about.

22:08 So, let's see how I used this phrase and then we'll talk about it.

22:12 Our bonus phrase.

22:14 Let's watch.

22:15 These are dangly earrings, and I I I usually wear dangly earrings.

22:20 I have a couple stud earrings.

22:23 You heard me say, "These are dangly earrings." So,

22:27 this means it's hanging loosely from my ear.

22:31 It's not attached at the top and just sticking there.

22:35 Instead, it is a dangly earring.

22:38 And we use this to talk about anything that's hanging loosely.

22:41 So, in the US, it's really common to have

22:44 something hanging or dangling from your rearview mirror.

22:49 I don't like to do this because it kind of messes with my vision as I'm driving.

22:54 It can kind of get in the way,

22:56 but it's really common to have something dangling from your rearview mirror.

23:01 So, you might say, "What's that dangly thing on your rearview mirror?"

23:06 This is a really specific expression that you can use in this situation.

23:10 Hey, what's that dangly thing on the tree out there?

23:13 Oh, it's a string that flew down the street

23:16 and it got caught in the tree branches.

23:19 It's something that is dangly.

23:22 It is hanging loosely.

23:24 So, let's see how I use this to talk about my earrings and I think you

23:28 can use this as well as you're having

23:30 conversations so that you can express yourself better.

23:33 Let's watch.

23:34 These are dangly earrings and I I usually wear dangly earrings.

23:39 I have a couple stud earrings.

23:42 Well, congratulations on learning those 10 plus one bonus daily life phrases

23:48 from my morning routine that I hope

23:51 you can also integrate into your conversations.

23:54 Don't forget to download the free PDF worksheet that includes

23:57 all of these phrases plus the bonus speaking practice.

24:01 A lot of students have really loved this speaking practice

24:03 because it elevates your experience not just passively watching a lesson.

24:08 You are actively using what you've learned.

24:11 You're repeating after my voice.

24:13 I am pausing so that you can speak.

24:16 This is essential.

24:17 So, make sure that you download the PDF worksheet, all of these phrases,

24:21 and the bonus speaking practice to use and remember what you've learned today.

24:26 All you need to do is click on the link in the description,

24:29 enter your name and email address, and voila!

24:32 Just like that, the worksheet and bonus

24:35 speaking practice will land in your email inbox.

24:38 It is my gift to you.

24:40 Go out into the world and use real-life English.

24:43 You've got this.

24:44 Well, thank you so much for learning English with me and I'll see

24:47 you again next Friday for a new lesson here on my YouTube channel.

24:52 Bye.

24:53 But wait, do you want more?

24:54 I recommend watching this video next,

24:57 which is the original morning routine lesson,

25:00 where you will see my face without makeup,

25:04 but also you will see into my morning routine, which might be similar to yours,

25:09 and I want you to be able to describe your routines as well.

25:13 A great way to improve your English speaking.

25:16 So, I'll see you there.