Positive Emotions
| English | Meaning / Example |
|---|---|
| happy | Feeling joy or pleasure. I feel happy when I'm with my friends. |
| excited | Feeling enthusiastic about something. She was so excited before the trip. |
| proud | Feeling pleased about an achievement. He felt proud when he passed his exam. |
| grateful | Feeling thankful for something. I'm really grateful for your help. |
| relaxed | Feeling calm and free from stress. I feel relaxed after yoga. |
| content | Feeling satisfied and at peace. She felt content sitting in the garden. |
| surprised | Feeling unexpectedly affected by something. She was surprised by the gift. |
| amused | Finding something funny. He was amused by the joke. |
Tip Use "I feel + adjective" to express your emotions: I feel happy. I feel nervous. I feel tired. You can also say "I am + adjective": I am excited. I am proud. To add intensity, use words before the adjective: very, really, a bit, extremely, quite. Example: I'm really excited. I'm a bit worried.
Negative Emotions
| English | Meaning / Example |
|---|---|
| sad | Feeling unhappy or sorrowful. She felt sad when her friend moved away. |
| angry | Feeling strong displeasure or rage. He was angry about the unfair grade. |
| scared / frightened | Feeling fear. She was scared of the dark. |
| nervous | Feeling anxious before something. I always feel nervous before exams. |
| bored | Feeling uninterested or restless. He was bored during the long film. |
| embarrassed | Feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious. She felt embarrassed when she fell. |
| confused | Not understanding something. He was confused by the instructions. |
| lonely | Feeling alone and without company. Moving to a new school felt lonely. |
| worried | Feeling anxious about something that might happen. She's worried about the test. |
| jealous | Feeling envious of someone else. He was jealous of his friend's success. |
| tired | Feeling a lack of energy. She was tired after the long day. |
| stressed | Feeling overwhelmed and under pressure. He feels stressed about deadlines. |
| disappointed | Feeling let down by a result. I was disappointed by my grade. |
Intensity Words
| English | Example |
|---|---|
| a bit / slightly | I'm a bit nervous. (low intensity) |
| quite / fairly | She's quite happy. (moderate) |
| very | He's very excited. (high) |
| really | I'm really tired. (high, informal) |
| extremely | She was extremely proud. (very high) |
| absolutely | I was absolutely terrified! (maximum, often used with strong emotions) |
Describing Changes in Emotion
| English | Meaning / Example |
|---|---|
| to feel better | Improving emotionally. I feel better now, thanks. |
| to cheer up | To become happier. She cheered up after talking to her friend. |
| to calm down | To become less upset or angry. He calmed down after a few minutes. |
| to panic | To feel sudden, uncontrollable fear. Don't panic — it'll be fine. |
Real world: Talking about how you feel
"How are you feeling about the competition tomorrow?" — "Honestly, I'm really nervous. But I'm also quite excited. I've trained hard, so I should feel proud whatever happens."
"She was absolutely devastated when her team lost the final. She went home and just needed some time to calm down."
"I felt a bit lonely when I first started at this school, but now I have great friends and I feel really happy here."
Practice Problems
How do you say 'mám strach' (I am afraid) in English?
Show answer
I feel scared. / I'm frightened.
Put in order from weakest to strongest: 'really', 'a bit', 'extremely'.
Show answer
a bit → really → extremely
Fill in: 'She felt _____ when she forgot her lines on stage.' (embarrassed/lonely)
Show answer
embarrassed
Which phrase means to become less angry or upset?
Show answer
to calm down