Do you ever feel like your English is stuck somewhere between your head and your mouth?
When you know exactly what to say, the idea is completely clear, but the words either don’t come out, or they come out in the wrong order, or too slowly for the conversation to feel natural.
And what do most people do when that happens?
They either stop talking, become very shy, start shaking, feel really dumb, or go looking for more advanced vocabulary, more sophisticated words, and more impressive expressions, as if knowing enough of them would finally make everything click.
Here’s the thing.
The words that actually stop people in conversation are not advanced ones. They are the ones you’ve studied multiple times. You know what they mean. You understand them when you hear them, but when you need them in real time—in the middle of a sentence, while someone is looking at you and waiting—they’re just not automatic yet.
Words like realize, admit, convince, regret—you know them.
But do they come out without thinking? For most learners, they don’t.
Honestly, even after 11 years in the United States, they still don’t.
So today, we’re going to go through the 100 most common verbs in English.
We’re going to go through them in groups because your brain holds on to clusters much better than it holds on to lists.
For each one, you’ll hear a real sentence—something you could actually say to someone today.
If you like the sentence, memorize it, write it down, keep repeating it, and make it part of your actual language.
If you’re new here, welcome to Lingua Marina.
I’ve been learning English for years now. I moved to the United States from Russia 11 years ago, and I make videos to help you speak English the way real people actually speak. I’m learning with you.
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And before we start, tell me in the comments when you found my channel. Was it today, last month, or last year? I’m always curious to know, because I’ve been here for a while, and many of you have grown with me.
I’m meeting many of you in my daily life here in San Francisco, in the Bay Area, and it’s the best thing ever.
And if you remember the first video you watched, write that too.
All right, let’s go.
Be is the most common verb in English. You use it to describe states, identities, and feelings—to say what something is or how it feels. You use it more than any other word in the language.
I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m getting there.
Seem is how you describe something based on how it looks or feels to you—not as a hard fact.
It seemed like the right decision at the time.
Appear is similar to seem, but slightly more formal.
She appeared calm, but I could tell she was nervous.
Become means to change into something—to go from one state to another.
You don’t find the person you want to be—you become that person.
Stay means to remain in a place or a state—to not leave or change.
Stay curious. The moment you stop asking questions, you stop growing.
Remain means the same as stay but is more formal.
She remained calm even when everything around her was falling apart.
Exist means to be real—to actually be present.
Some problems exist only because we keep thinking about them.
Go means to move away from where you are.
I went to bed late, and I paid for it the next morning.
Come means to move toward the speaker.
She came back into my life exactly when I had stopped waiting.
Leave means to go away from a place or a person.
I left my phone at home, and I honestly didn’t miss it.
Arrive means to reach a place.
We arrived in the city with no plan, and somehow that made it better.
Return means to go back.
He returned to the same café every morning for 15 years.
Walk means to move on foot.
Walk like you know where you’re going—even when you don’t.
Run means to move quickly.
I used to run from hard conversations. Now I start them first.
Move means to change position or affect emotionally.
That film moved me more than I expected.
Travel means to go long distances.
She has traveled to 40 countries and still feels like a beginner.
Drive means to operate a vehicle.
He drove three hours just to surprise her.
Say means to express something.
She said yes before I even finished the question.
Tell means to give information to someone.
Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your resume.
Ask means to request information.
I asked for help, and it turned out to be the smartest decision I made that year.
Speak is more formal than talk.
She spoke quietly, but everyone listened.
Talk is casual communication.
We talked for four hours, and it still didn’t feel like enough.
Call means to phone someone.
Call me when you land.
Write means to produce written language.
She wrote him one letter. He kept it for 20 years.
Read means to understand written text.
I read somewhere that people who read more are better listeners.
Listen means to actively pay attention.
Most people listen to respond. The best communicators listen to understand.
Hear means to perceive sound.
I heard everything you said, but I’m not sure I understood it.
Think means to form ideas.
I think the hardest part is starting.
Know means to have knowledge.
You already know more than you think.
Understand means to grasp meaning.
I didn’t understand it for years, then suddenly it made sense.
Believe means to accept something as true.
Believe in what you’re building.
Remember means to recall something.
I remember how I felt, not just what was said.
Forget means to lose memory.
Don’t forget where you started.
Wonder means to ask yourself internally.
I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had said yes.
Realize means to suddenly understand.
She realized she was wrong and said so.
Doubt means to feel uncertain.
Doubt is not the enemy of confidence.
Learn means to gain knowledge or skill.
You build a language one conversation at a time.
Feel means to experience emotion.
I felt out of place, and then realized everyone else did too.
Love means a strong positive feeling.
I love meaningful conversations.
Like is weaker than love.
I didn’t like public speaking at first.
Want means to desire something.
Go after what you want.
Need means to require something.
I needed to fail to understand what I wanted.
Hope means to expect something possible.
I hope you find what makes you happy.
Wish expresses something unreal or past.
I wish I had started sooner.
Fear means to be afraid.
Do the thing you fear most.
Enjoy means to take pleasure.
He enjoys cooking for others.
Miss means to feel absence.
I miss who I used to be.
Get means to obtain.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Give means to provide.
Give yourself the same advice you give others.
Take means to move toward yourself.
Take the first step.
Bring means to carry toward someone.
She brought energy into every room.
Send means to cause something to go.
Send the message.
Receive means to get formally.
She received the news calmly.
Buy means to purchase.
Buy experiences, not things.
Pay means to give money.
Pay attention.
Keep means to continue having.
Keep going.
Lose means to no longer have.
You haven’t lost until you stop trying.
Do means to perform.
Do the hard thing first.
Make means to create.
Make decisions you’re proud of.
Try means to attempt.
Try before you judge.
Work means effort.
Work on things that scare you.
Help means to assist.
Help someone today.
Start means to begin.
Start before you’re ready.
Stop means to end.
Stop waiting.
Finish means to complete.
Finish what you start.
Build means to construct.
Build something meaningful.
Create means to make something new.
Create what you wish existed.
Live means to exist in life.
Live as the person you want to become.
Grow means to develop.
You grow through difficulty.
Change means to become different.
Change when the facts change.
Eat and drink describe basic actions.
Eat well. Drink slowly.
Sleep and wake describe cycles.
Wake up and decide.
Die means to stop living.
Some dreams die, others transform.
Open and close describe states.
Open your mind. Close the day well.
Decide means to make a choice.
I decided to act.
Choose means selection.
You choose every day.
Agree and disagree express opinion.
I disagree, but I understand.
Promise means commitment.
I promise to be there.
Offer means to present something.
She offered help.
Refuse means to reject.
She refused to answer.
Accept means to receive willingly.
Accept where you are.
Admit means to acknowledge truth.
I admitted my mistake.
Deny means to reject truth.
She denied it.
Suggest means to propose.
She suggested we talk.
Explain means to make clear.
Explain it to me.
Achieve means to accomplish.
You achieve what you work for.
Fail means to not succeed.
I failed many times.
Succeed means to achieve a goal.
She succeeded in convincing them.
Earn means to gain.
Earn trust.
Spend means to use resources.
Spend your time wisely.
Share means to give part of something.
Share what you know.
Support means to help.
Support others.
Allow means to permit.
Allow yourself to change.
Prevent means to stop something.
Prevent mistakes.
Check means to verify.
Check your assumptions.
Depend means to rely.
It depends on the situation.
English that actually stops people from speaking.
And in the comments, write one sentence using any word from today’s video.
Your own sentence, your own life. I want to read them all.
And I’ll see you in the next video.