Speaking: Vocabulary for Speaking A2
Food & Drinks
Listen to the vocabulary and phrases here.
Scenario: Ordering at a Restaurant 🍜
Let's imagine you are at a restaurant in Siem Reap. Here are some thoughts someone might have while looking at a menu.
"Okay, let's see. For a drink, I'd like a fresh coconut. For my main course, I think I'll have the fried pork with rice. My friend wants something spicy, so she is ordering the beef with chili. For dessert, we will share a plate of sweet mango and sticky rice. It all sounds so delicious!"
Food & Drink Vocabulary (Click 🔊)
Types of Food
- 🍉 Fruit
- 🥕 Vegetable
- 🍰 Dessert
- 🍖 Meat (pork, beef, chicken)
Describing Food (Adjectives)
- 👍 delicious
- 🍬 sweet
- 🍋 sour
- 🌶️ spicy
- ☀️ fresh
- 🥗 healthy
Useful Phrases & Pronunciation
🗣️ Pronunciation Focus: Word Stress
Pay attention to the stress in these multi-syllable words. Stressed syllables are in BOLD/UPPERCASE. Click 🔊 to hear.
- de-LI-cious
- VEG-e-ta-ble
- CO-co-nut
- ba-NA-na
💡 Expressing Preferences
Here are some useful phrases for talking about what food you like or don't like. Click 🔊 to hear.
- I like / I don't like...
"I like spicy food, but I don't like sour food." - My favorite... is...
"My favorite fruit is mango." - I prefer A to B. (Use this to say you like A more than B).
"I prefer tea to coffee."
Practice Your Vocabulary 🎯
Activity 1: Category Sort (Self-Check)
Put these food items in the correct category: chicken, apple, carrot, ice cream, beef, banana. Click "Show Answers" to check.
Show Answers
- Fruit: apple, banana
- Vegetable: carrot
- Meat: chicken, beef
- Dessert: ice cream
Activity 2: Describe the Dish
Think about a famous Khmer dish, like "Amok" or "Lok Lak". Describe it using at least two adjectives from this lesson.
Example: "Amok is delicious and not too spicy."
Your turn: _________________________
Activity 3: What's Your Favorite?
Work with a partner or practice speaking alone. Ask and answer "What's your favorite...?" for the following categories: Fruit, Drink, and Meat. Answer in a full sentence.
Example Question: "What's your favorite fruit?"
Example Answer: "My favorite fruit is mango."
Vocabulary Reference (Click 🔊)
- Example: mango, banana, apple.
- Example: carrot, morning glory (spinach).
- Sweet food eaten at the end of a meal. Example: ice cream, cake.
- Animal flesh eaten as food.
- Types of meat.
- Having a very pleasant taste. (Stress: de-LI-cious)
- Taste like sugar / Taste like lemon.
- Having a strong taste from chili. (Stress: SPI-cy)
- Recently made or picked; not old.
- Good for your body. (Stress: HEAL-thy)
- Types of fruit. (Stress: MAN-go, CO-co-nut)
- To like one thing more than another. (Stress: pre-FER)
Your Vocabulary Mission ⭐
This week, your mission is to use your food vocabulary.
When you eat your next meal, think about how to describe it in English. For example, if you eat some soup, think to yourself, "This soup is a little spicy, but very delicious." Try to use at least 3 new words this week!