The Complete Guide to Morning Routines! A Collection of English Phrases You Can Use Every Morning, Such as 'Fixing Your Hair' and 'Washing Your Face' [English Conversation Lesson 4]
Hello everyone!
I'm Sherry, and I take online lessons with Kimini English Conversation (almost) every day!
"I want to learn English, but I can't find the time to study ( ; ; )"
"I'm interested in online lessons, but I'm hesitant to sign up... ><"
"I want to know what kind of things I can learn!"
"I want to confirm if it's really effective before I sign up!"
I'm sure many of you feel this way.
Actually, I felt the same way before I started online English conversation.
Depending on the service, you are paying around 5,000 yen a month, which is not exactly cheap, so I think it's natural to feel that way.
For those people, I thought,
"If I record what I've learned as a way to review for myself, wouldn't it also be useful information for those who are hesitant to sign up or those who want to study English?"
So, I am compiling my lesson records.
Now, let's begin
not an "online English conversation" lesson, but a "learn by reading English conversation" lesson!
ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
[Lesson 4] Morning Routine
On this page, we will learn "words and phrases related to morning routines."
Today's learning objectives are as follows.
Learn "English words and phrases related to morning routines"
Learn "expressions using English words and phrases related to morning routines"
To achieve these goals,
let's learn "words and phrases related to morning routines"!
Let's start !
1. English words and phrases related to morning routines
First, here are English words related to morning routines.
I'm sure many of you think, "I thought I knew these, but I had forgotten them!" Let's review them!
For those who think, 'I don't know how to pronounce this...! I'm in trouble!'
For example, if you search for 'always' on the internet, you will see a screen like the one below on Google Search.
Press the audio button enclosed in the red frame to check the pronunciation.
📍Words expressing frequency
routine: habit, daily routine
always: always
usually: usually
often: often
sometimes: sometimes
never: never
early: early
late: late
every morning: every morning
📍Words for Morning Routines
wake up: to wake up
get up: to get out of bed
brush my teeth: to brush my teeth
wash my face: to wash my face
make breakfast: to make breakfast
cook breakfast: to cook breakfast (specifically with the nuance of 'cooking')
make coffee or tea: to make coffee or tea
get ready for work or school: to get ready for work or school
put on makeup: to put on makeup
get dressed: to get dressed
fix my hair: to fix my hair
pack my lunch: to pack my lunch
get the train: to take the train
(Note) Memorizing English words using an AI vocabulary book
When I memorize English words, I use a vocabulary review app I created myself in Google AI Studio.
Since it presents questions with example sentences, I can 'learn them in context'!
Enter the words you want to learn and click 'Generate Quiz'
The generative AI presents an English vocabulary quiz with example sentences
Answer the quiz
The generative AI presents an English vocabulary quiz for the words you got wrong
You can review English words following this flow.
If you are interested in an AI vocabulary book, please let me know in the comments!
② Expressions using English words and phrases related to morning routines
In ②, we will learn how to explain your morning routine in a conversation format using the English words and phrases learned in ①.
This time, we will learn phrases in a story format through a conversation between Tom and Emma, who have just started dating.
The conversation unfolds through the sequence of events from waking up in the morning until leaving for work. Let's enjoy seeing what kind of morning routines they have!
Also, if you are in an environment where you can speak out loud, try reading the phrases aloud!
Try reading the phrase aloud!
SCENE 1. Waking up in the morning
wake up / get up
Emma: Good morning, Tom. You always wake up early, don’t you?
Tom: Yeah, but sometimes I stay in bed a little longer. You usually get up late, right?
Continue to SCENE 2➡️
wake up / get up are often thought to have similar meanings, but they actually have slightly different nuances.
wake up: To wake from sleep (consciousness returns)
get up: To get out of bed (move your body)
Therefore, you can express it in the following way.
I usually wake up around 6:30, but I don’t get up until 7:00.
: I usually wake up around 6:30, but I don't get out of bed until 7:00.
Isn't this a relatable scenario...!
I also always wake up at 7:30, but I stay in bed until about 8:00 (lol)
Also, as another expression,
You always wake up early, don’t you?
: You always wake up early, don't you?
This is a grammatical structure called a "tag question."
The basic rule is to add a negative tag question after an affirmative sentence, and it includes the nuance of
"..., right?" or "..., isn't it?".
SCENE 2. Washing up and brushing teeth
wash my face / brush my teeth
➡️Continuation of SCENE 1
Emma: True. But every morning I brush my teeth and wash my face right after I get up.
Tom: I often make breakfast while you do that. Do you want coffee or tea today?
Emma: Coffee, please. You never forget my coffee.
Continue to SCENE 3➡️
I brush my teeth and wash my face right after I get up.
: I brush my teeth and wash my face as soon as I get up.
after I get up, right after I get up conveys the nuance of "immediately after waking up" more effectively.
right after: immediately after / right after
I think many people feel that morning preparations are a race against time!
These are expressions you can use to convey that situation more accurately.
SCENE 3. Making Breakfast / Getting Ready
cook breakfast / make coffee or tea / get dressed / put on makeup / fix my hair
➡️Continued from SCENE 2
Tom: I’ll cook breakfast and make coffee, then. Could you get dressed and put on makeup while I’m cooking?
Emma: Sure. And I’ll fix my hair, too. You always look nice after you fix yours.
Continuing to SCENE 4➡️
In the conversation,
I’ll cook breakfast and make coffee
is used, but has anyone wondered, "Why isn't it 'cook' or 'make' for both?"
cook and make both mean "to prepare," but they actually have slightly different nuances and usages.
cook: Used when preparing food by heating it
💡For example...
I like to cook pasta.
: I like to cook pasta.
She is cooking dinner now.
: She is cooking dinner now.
make: Refers to "making" or "preparing" in general, regardless of whether heat is involved
*Includes not just cooking, but also drinks and simple preparations
💡For example...
I’ll make some coffee.
: I'll make some coffee.
He made a salad for lunch.
: He made a salad for lunch.
My mom always makes breakfast.
: My mom always makes breakfast.
These are subtle differences, but knowing them is useful because it allows you to express nuanced meanings in conversation.
SCENE 4. Packing my lunch
pack my lunch / get ready for work
➡️Continuation of SCENE 3
Emma: I usually pack my lunch the night before, but sometimes I do it in the morning.
Tom: That’s fine. I’ll get ready for work while you finish packing.
Continuing to SCENE 5➡️
pack my lunch As phrases with the same meaning as,
prepare my lunch
get my lunch ready
and so on.
SCENE 5. Leaving the house and commuting by train
get the train
➡️Continuation of SCENE 4
Emma: Okay, all done. Let’s get the train before it’s late.
Tom: Perfect. I love when we go to work together every morning.
After that, Tom and Emma commuted to work together happily.
get the train is used to mean 'to board a train' or 'to use a train,' but depending on the context, it can also carry the nuance of 'making it in time for the train.'
Hurry up, or we won’t get the train!
: Hurry up! Otherwise, we won't make it in time for the train!
When 'get' is used with a means of transportation, it means 'to board/use.' Therefore, you can also express it in the following ways.
get the bus: to take the bus
get a taxi: to take a taxi
get a flight: to take a flight
Also, phrases with similar meanings include:
take the train: to take the train
➡️ I usually take the train to work.: I usually take the train to work.
catch the train (to make it in time for and board the train)
➡️ I ran to catch the train, but I missed it.
: I ran to catch the train, but I missed it.
and so on.
3. Summary of today's lesson
Let's summarize today's lesson.
The learning objectives were as follows:
Learn 'English vocabulary related to morning routines'
Learn 'phrases related to morning routines'
Everyone, were you able to achieve these two objectives?
I think we learned a lot about the subtle nuances of phrases today. Being able to convey things appropriately according to the situation will likely make your communication much smoother.
Well then, see you in the next lesson!
See you soon !