Open Mind

intermediate WORD LIST

UNIT five
Word / Phrase Translation Part of Speech Phonetic Spelling Definition Sample Sentence
ask a favour um einen Gefallen phrase /ɑːsk ə ˈfeɪvə(r)/ to request that I need to ask a favour.
bitten someone does Will you drive me to
something to help you the train station?
ask permission um Erlaubnis bitten phrase /ɑːsk to request that Children should ask
ˌpə(r)ˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ someone in authority permission from
gives you the right to their parents before
do something downloading apps.
base on auf etw. basieren verb /beɪs ɒn/ to use particular My opinion of him
ideas or facts to is based on gossip –
make a decision, I have never met him!
do a calculation or
develop a theory
benefit Vorteil noun [count.] /ˈbenɪfɪt/ an advantage you Communication
get from a situation with friends is good
for us – it has social
and psychological
benefits.
collect sammeln verb /kəˈlekt/ to get things and First we collect the
keep them together data and then we
for a particular analyse it.
reason
conflict Konflikt noun [count.] /ˈkɒnflɪkt/ angry disagreement I try to avoid conflict
between people or at work because I like
groups a positive working
environment.
connotation(s) Konnotation(en), noun [count.] /ˌkɒnəˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ an additional idea or The verb ‘gossip’
Nebenbedeutung(en) emotion that a word has negative
suggests to you, that connotations, but
is not part of its usual gossiping isn’t
meaning always bad.
controversial kontrovers adjective /ˌkɒntrəˈvɜː(r)ʃ(ə)l/ a controversial There are
subject, opinion or controversial plans
decision is one that to build a motorway
people disagree through the town.
about or do not
approve of
conversation Gespräch, noun [count.] /ˌkɒnvə(r)ˈseɪʃ(ə)n/ a talk between two Two-thirds of all
Unterhaltung or more people, human conversation
usually a private and is gossip.
informal one
convince überzeugen verb /kənˈvɪns/ to persuade He convinced me to
someone to do buy the second-hand
something car, even though
I wanted a new one.
criticism Kritik noun [uncount.] /ˈkrɪtɪˌsɪz(ə)m/ comments that Most gossip is not
show that you think based on criticism.
something is wrong Some gossip is
or bad positive about people.

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Open Mind

Word / Phrase Translation Part of Speech Phonetic Spelling Definition Sample Sentence
data Daten noun [uncount.] /ˈdeɪtə/ facts or information Do a survey to collect
used for making data for your report.
calculations or
decisions: can be
followed by a plural
verb in scientific
English, in which case
the singular is datum
desktop PC noun [count.] /ˈdeskˌtɒp a computer that is I have a desktop
computer kəmˈpjuːtə(r)/ designed for use in computer in the office
a single location, for and a laptop for when
example at a desk I work at home.
direct direkt, unverblümt adjective /dɪˈrekt/ saying what you My boss is very direct
really think in a very and she often offends
clear and honest way people in the office.
element Bestandteil noun [count.] /ˈelɪmənt/ a small but important Gossip is just
amount of a particular communication
quality or feeling about people with an
evaluative element.
entertainment Unterhaltung noun [uncount.] /ˌentə(r) performances that The survey showed
ˈteɪnmənt/ people enjoy that more women
read entertainment
news than sports
news.
establish herstellen, etablieren verb /ɪˈstæblɪʃ/ to make something The new leader
start to exist or start established good
to happen relations with the
business community.
exchange Informationen phrase /ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ to give someone She thinks she’s
information austauschen ˌɪnfə(r)ˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/ information and ‘exchanging
then listen to what information’, but we
information they think she’s gossiping!
give you
explain erklären verb /ɪkˈspleɪn/ to tell someone I was confused by
something in a way the results until the
that helps them teacher explained
understand it better them.
face-to-face von Angesicht zu adjective /feɪs tə feɪs/ involving two people I prefer to do
Angesicht who are together in business in
the same place face-to-face
meetings than via
videoconferencing.
findings Ergebnis(se) noun [uncount.] /ˈfaɪndɪŋz/ information or The findings
opinions that come of the research
from doing research were absolutely
fascinating.
follow verfolgen verb /ˈfɒləʊ/ to be interested I follow sports news
in the progress during the Olympics
or development but not at any
of someone or other time.
something
give a speech eine Rede halten phrase /ɡɪv ə spiːtʃ/ to speak to an The president gave
audience in a formal an excellent speech
setting to the congress.
give a talk einen Vortrag halten phrase /ɡɪv ə tɔːk/ to present an Pete gave a talk on
informal lecture his travels in Nepal.
about a subject

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Open Mind

Word / Phrase Translation Part of Speech Phonetic Spelling Definition Sample Sentence
gossip Klatsch, Gerede noun [uncount.] /ˈɡɒsɪp/ conversation about I never listen to
unimportant subjects, office gossip.
especially people’s
private lives
gossip klatschen, tratschen verb /ˈɡɒsɪp/ to talk about other My mum likes to
people or about gossip about the
things that are not neighbours with her
important friends.
human menschlich adjective /ˈhjuːmən/ relating to people Two-thirds of all
human conversation
is gossip.
imply beinhalten verb /ɪmˈplaɪ/ to show or suggest I didn’t mean to
that something exists imply that you were
or is true interfering.
in person persönlich phrase /ɪn ˈpɜː(r)s(ə)n/ to do something by You have to collect
(anwesend) going to a place or the tickets in person.
person rather than by You can’t have them
writing, telephoning sent in the post.
or sending someone
else
indecisive unentschlossen adjective /ˌɪndɪˈsaɪsɪv/ unable to make Critics say the leader
decisions has been weak and
indecisive.
indicate nahelegen verb /ˈɪndɪkeɪt/ to show that Research indicates
something will that communicating
happen, is true with friends lowers
or exists our stress levels.
laptop Laptop noun [count.] /ˈlæpˌtɒp/ a small computer I bought a laptop so
that you can carry I could work on the
with you train.
lower reduzieren, verb /ˈləʊə(r)/ to reduce something My doctor says
verringern in number, amount, I need to lower my
value or strength stress levels.
majority Mehrheit noun [uncount.] /məˈdʒɒrəti/ most of the people The majority of
or things in a group our employees are
women – almost 75%!
negative negativ adjective /ˈneɡətɪv/ harmful or bad Gossiping is not a
negative pastime.
neighbour Nachbar noun [count.] /ˈneɪbə(r)/ someone who lives Jim and Margaret
near you have been our
neighbours for years.
news Nachricht(en) noun [uncount.] /njuːz/ information about Most people in the
something that has survey get news via
happened recently the internet.
not necessarily nicht phrase /nɒtˈnesəsərəli/ not always, or not in Gossip is not
notwendigerweise every situation necessarily negative
about people.
occupation Beruf noun [count.] /ˌɒkjʊˈpeɪʃ(ə)n/ a job. This word is The study linked
used especially on people’s stress levels
forms and in formal to their occupations.
writing.
orally mündlich adverb /ˈɔːrəli/ spoken but not written In the ‘Speaking’
paper you have to
give your answers
orally.

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Open Mind

Word / Phrase Translation Part of Speech Phonetic Spelling Definition Sample Sentence
participant Teilnehmer noun [count.] /pɑː(r)ˈtɪsɪpənt/ someone who takes As there were only
part in something fifteen participants in
the survey the results
are unreliable.
pattern (Verhaltens-)Muster noun [count.] /ˈpætə(r)n/ a series of actions or The study examined
events that together patterns of behaviour
show how things in young children.
normally happen or
are done
politics Politik noun [uncount.] /ˈpɒlətɪks/ the study of how I enjoy reading
people gain and use books about
political power politics because
I’m interested in
government.
prove belegen, beweisen verb /pruːv/ to provide evidence He has proven that
that shows that hard work achieves
something is true good grades.
psychological psychologisch adjective /ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l/ involving or affecting Gossip can have
your mind psychological
benefits.
psychologist Psychologe/ noun [count.] /saɪˈkɒlədʒɪst/ someone who She wants to be a
Psychologin studies how people’s psychologist because
minds work and how she is interested in
this affects their how the brain works.
behaviour
purpose(s) Zweck noun [count.] /ˈpɜː(r)pəs/ when considering Do you use your
one particular thing mobile primarily for
business purposes?
rather than lieber … als phrase /ˈrɑːðə(r) ðən/ used for saying Doug chose to quit
that one thing is rather than admit that
preferred to another he’d made a mistake.
or happens instead
of another
reinforce verstärken verb /ˌriːɪnˈfɔː(r)s/ to make an idea, These latest figures
belief or feeling reinforce the view
stronger that economic
growth is slowing.
resolve lösen verb /rɪˈzɒlv/ to solve a problem or The conflict was
to find a satisfactory resolved with intense
way of dealing with a negotiation.
disagreement
section (auf-)teilen noun [count.] /ˈsekʃ(ə)n/ something, or a group The report is divided
of things, that forms into four main
part of a larger group sections.
sex Geschlecht noun [count.] /seks/ males or females This is true for both
considered as sexes – men and
separate groups women.
similar ähnlich adjective /ˈsɪmɪlə(r)/ things that are similar All the students
share some qualities in the class have
but are not exactly similar views about
the same education.
similarity Ähnlichkeit noun [count.] /ˌsɪməˈlærəti/ the degree to which I found some
one thing is similar similarities between
to another thing or the two stories but
the fact that they are they were mostly
similar different.

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Open Mind

Word / Phrase Translation Part of Speech Phonetic Spelling Definition Sample Sentence
simply einfach adverb /ˈsɪmpli/ used for emphasising Gossip is not always
that what you are negative – it’s simply
saying is nothing interesting to talk
more than what you about people.
say it is
smart phone Smartphone noun [count.] /ˈsmɑː(r)tˌfəʊn/ a mobile phone You don’t need to
that also works as bring your laptop,
a small computer, you can use my smart
allowing you to store phone!
information and write
letters and reports
social soziale Interaktion noun [count.] /ˈsəʊʃ(ə)l the activity of being I like learning English
interaction ˌɪntərˈækʃ(ə)n/ with and talking to in a class rather than
other people and online because I like
the way that people the social interaction.
react to each other
social life gesellschaftliches phrase /ˈsəʊʃ(ə)l laɪf/ the time that you I don’t have much
Leben spend enjoying of a social life at the
yourself with friends moment because I
am studying for my
exams.
social media Social-Media- phrase /ˈsəʊʃ(ə)l miːdiə a computer program He uses lots of
platform Plattform ˈplætˌfɔː(r)m/ or service that allows different social media
communication platforms to stay in
between people touch with friends
around the world.
social skills Sozialkompetenz phrase /ˈsəʊʃ(ə)l skɪlz/ the ability to talk His social skills
to other people are quite poor,
confidently, so he wants a job
particularly people where he can work
you don’t know independently.
socially das Sozialverhalten adverb /ˈsəʊʃ(ə)li/ in situations and He’s socially awkward
betreffend activities that involve – he finds it difficult
being with other to talk to people.
people, especially for
enjoyment
source Ursprung noun [count.] /sɔː(r)s/ the cause of a The source of the
problem or the place story is not clear, but
where it began they think it began in
parliament.
state erklären, (offiziell) verb /steɪt/ to express something He stated that the
bekanntgeben in speech or writing project would be
especially in a definite completed by April.
or formal way
stress Stress noun [uncount.] /stres/ a worried or nervous She is suffering from
feeling that stops you stress and needs to
relaxing, caused, for take some time off
example, by pressure work.
at work or financial
or personal problems
subject Thema noun [count.] /ˈsʌbdʒɪkt/ an idea, problem, Can we talk about
situation etc that a different subject
you discuss or write please?
about
summarise zusammenfassen verb /ˈsʌməraɪz/ to provide a short Please summarise the
account of the report findings into a
most important short paragraph.
facts or features of
something

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Open Mind

Word / Phrase Translation Part of Speech Phonetic Spelling Definition Sample Sentence
tell a joke einen Witz machen phrase /tel ə dʒəʊk/ to say something that He tells a lot of jokes,
is intended to make but I don’t find him
people laugh (usually very funny.
a short story with a
funny ending)
tell a story eine Geschichte phrase /tel ə ˈstɔːri/ to give a description His grandfather told
erzählen of some events him a story about the
war.
tell the truth die Wahrheit sagen phrase /tel ðə truːθ/ to give the actual My sister is very
facts about honest. She always
something rather tells the truth.
than what people
think or say is true
trivial belanglos, banal adjective /ˈtrɪviəl/ not very interesting, I don’t see Mary
serious or valuable anymore because she
just talks about trivial
things like shopping
and make-up.
two-thirds zwei Drittel noun [uncount.] /tuː θɜː(r)dz/ two of three equal Only two-thirds of
parts of something the class passed the
exam – that’s only
about 65%!
unexpected unvorhergesehen, adjective /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪd/ something that If you get any
unerwartet is unexpected is unexpected results,
surprising because you may not have set
you did not expect it up the experiment
at all or you expected properly.
it to happen in a
different way
values Werte noun /ˈvæljuːz/ the principles and They have a different
beliefs that influence set of values to
the behaviour and us and live a very
way of life of a different life.
particular group or
community
via via, per preposition /ˈviːə/ using a particular We keep in touch
method or person via social media
to send or deliver websites.
something
vital unverzichtbar, adjective /ˈvaɪt(ə)l/ very important, It is vital that schools
von elementarer necessary or essential teach students to use
Bedeutung computer technology.
workmate Arbeitskollege/ noun [count.] /ˈwɜː(r)kˌmeɪt/ someone you He always goes out
Arbeitskollegin work with with his workmates
after work on a Friday
evening.

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