Fruit (Fruit)
| Word | Word |
|---|---|
| apple | banana |
| orange | lemon |
| strawberry | grape |
| cherry | peach |
| pear | mango |
| pineapple | watermelon |
Vegetables (Vegetables)
| Word | Word |
|---|---|
| potato | carrot |
| onion | tomato |
| cucumber | lettuce |
| broccoli | pepper |
| pea | bean |
| mushroom | corn / sweetcorn |
Note Tomato is botanically a fruit but treated as a vegetable in cooking. Potato and tomato form irregular plurals: potatoes, tomatoes.
Dairy and staples
| Word | Word |
|---|---|
| bread | butter |
| cheese | egg |
| milk | yoghurt |
| pasta | rice |
| flour | sugar |
| cereal | biscuit / cookie |
Meat and fish
| Word | Word |
|---|---|
| chicken | beef |
| pork | lamb |
| fish | salmon |
| tuna | prawn / shrimp |
Drinks
| Word | Register/Notes |
|---|---|
| water | still or sparkling |
| milk | — |
| juice | orange juice, apple juice… |
| tea | very common in UK |
| coffee | hot or iced |
| lemonade | fizzy sweet drink (UK) |
| smoothie | blended fruit drink |
Meals of the day
| Meal | Time |
|---|---|
| breakfast | morning |
| lunch | midday |
| dinner / supper | evening |
| snack | between meals |
| brunch | late morning (breakfast + lunch) |
At a restaurant
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Can I have the menu, please? | asking for the menu |
| I'd like… | polite way to order |
| What do you recommend? | asking for suggestions |
| The bill / check, please. | asking to pay (bill = UK, check = US) |
Real world: shopping for food
In a supermarket or market you might say: "Excuse me, where are the potatoes?" or "I need some bread and milk." Reading food labels requires basic food vocabulary: ingredients include flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and milk. Menu reading in cafés or restaurants also depends on knowing food words.
Practice Problems
Name three vegetables.
Show answer
Any three from: potato, carrot, onion, tomato, cucumber, broccoli, pepper, pea, bean, mushroom, corn, lettuce.
What is the morning meal called?
Show answer
breakfast
What do you say when you want to pay in a UK restaurant?
Show answer
The bill, please.
What is the plural of 'potato'?
Show answer
potatoes