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Intermediate · Real-life conversations · topic 34 of 59 · 16 min

Feelings and opinions

Explanation

Go beyond "happy" and "sad": say excited, nervous, upset, relieved or proud. Use -ed words for how you feel ("I'm bored") and -ing words for what causes the feeling ("The class is boring"). Give opinions with "I think" and disagree softly: "I see your point, but..." अपनी भावनाएँ और राय बताना।

English has many words for feelings (भावनाएँ). Using the exact word makes you sound natural and helps people understand you better. "I'm sad" and "I'm frustrated" are very different messages.

FeelingHindiExample
excitedउत्साहितI'm so excited about the trip!
nervousघबराया हुआI'm nervous about my interview.
upsetदुखी, परेशानShe was upset because she failed the test.
relievedराहत महसूस करनाI was relieved when the results came.
frustratedझुंझलाया हुआI'm frustrated with this slow internet.
embarrassedशर्मिंदाI was embarrassed when I forgot his name.
proudगर्व महसूस करनाMy parents are proud of me.
worriedचिंतितHe's worried about his mother's health.

I'm really nervous about tomorrow's interview.

Say it: aim REE-lee NUR-vus a-BOWT to-MOR-ohz IN-ter-vyoo

मैं कल के इंटरव्यू को लेकर बहुत घबराया हुआ हूँ।

Learn the little word too: nervous about, worried about, excited about, proud of, upset about.

I was so relieved when I found my wallet.

Say it: ai woz SOH ri-LEEVD wen ai FOWND my WOL-it

बटुआ मिलने पर मुझे बड़ी राहत मिली।

-ed or -ing?

-ed: how I feel-ing: what causes itExample
boredboringI'm bored because the lecture is boring.
interestedinterestingI'm interested in history. It's an interesting subject.
tiredtiringThe journey was tiring, so I was tired.
confusedconfusingThe form was confusing; I was confused.
excitedexcitingThe match was exciting. We were all excited.
embarrassedembarrassingIt was an embarrassing moment. I felt embarrassed.

The lecture was so confusing. I'm still confused.

Say it: the LEK-cher woz SOH kon-FYOO-zing. aim STIL kon-FYOOZD

लेक्चर बहुत उलझाने वाला था। मैं अभी भी उलझन में हूँ।

"I am boring" means you are a boring person! To talk about your feeling, say "I am bored".

Giving opinions

I think online classes are useful, but I prefer real classrooms.

Say it: ai THINK ON-lyn KLAA-siz aar YOOS-ful, but ai pri-FUR REEL KLAAS-roomz

मुझे लगता है ऑनलाइन क्लासेज़ उपयोगी हैं, पर मुझे असली क्लासरूम ज़्यादा पसंद हैं।

In my opinion, the city needs more buses.

Say it: in my o-PIN-yun, the SIT-ee NEEDZ MOR BUS-iz

मेरी राय में, शहर को और बसों की ज़रूरत है।

"I feel that..." is softer and more personal: "I feel that we need more time."

AgreeDisagree politely
I agree with you.I see your point, but...
Exactly! / That's true.I'm not sure about that.
You're right.I see it a bit differently.
I feel the same way.That's a good point, but have you thought about...?

I see your point, but I'm not sure I agree.

Say it: ai SEE yor POYNT, but aim NOT SHOOR ai a-GREE

मैं आपकी बात समझता हूँ, पर मैं पूरी तरह सहमत नहीं हूँ।

Showing sympathy

I'm so sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do?

Say it: aim SOH SOR-ee to HEER that. iz thair EN-ee-thing ai kan DOO?

यह सुनकर बहुत दुख हुआ। क्या मैं कुछ मदद कर सकता हूँ?

When someone has died, say "I'm so sorry for your loss." For good news: "That's great news! Congratulations!"

Think of it like this: Feeling words are like masalas in a kitchen. "Happy" and "sad" are salt and chilli: basic and always there. Words like relieved, frustrated and proud are jeera, hing and elaichi: they give the exact taste of what you feel.
Careful: Common mistakes: "I am boring" when you mean "I am bored"; "I am agree" (say "I agree"); "I am feeling very much happy" (say "I'm really happy"). "According to me" is very common in India, but many international listeners find it odd; "I think" or "In my opinion" works everywhere.
Tip: Each night, say or write one line in English: "Today I felt ___ because ___." Try a new feeling word every day.

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Watch the lesson

Feelings and opinions · 1/7

Feelings and opinions

Hello! Today we learn to talk about feelings and give opinions.

Prefer a video by a teacher? Find free videos on “feelings adjectives and giving opinions in english in hindi” on YouTube ↗

In real life: After a college test

Ankit: Hey Sana, you look upset. Is everything okay? Sana: Not really. I got low marks in the maths test. I'm so frustrated. Ankit: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. You worked really hard. Sana: I did. I think the paper was really confusing. Ankit: I agree, it was tough. In my opinion, the teacher should explain the new chapter again. Sana: I see your point, but I don't think she has time before the final exam. Ankit: Then let's study together this week. I'm sure you'll do better. Sana: Thanks, Ankit. I feel a bit relieved now.

Practice (0/4 done)

Task 1 · Speak

Disagree politely.

I see your point, but I think we should leave a little earlier.

मैं आपकी बात समझता हूँ, पर मुझे लगता है हमें थोड़ा जल्दी निकलना चाहिए।

Press Speak, then say the sentence.
Task 2 · Listen and type

Listen and type the sentence.

Task 3 · Practice

A friend says: "I think mobile phones should not be allowed in schools." Reply in five or six sentences: show you understand, give your opinion with a reason, and use two feeling words.

Task 4 · Question

Which is correct?

Quick quiz

Question 1

1.You forgot your boss's name in a meeting. You probably felt...

Question 2

2.Complete: "This book is very ___. I can't stop reading it."

Question 3

3.Which way of giving an opinion works best everywhere?

Question 4

4.A colleague says, "My grandmother passed away last week." The best reply is...

Question 5

5."I was relieved" means...

Open a question to see the answer and why. The first ones are this topic's own quiz, so try the quiz above before you peek.

You forgot your boss's name in a meeting. You probably felt...

Answer: embarrassed

Embarrassed = शर्मिंदा, the feeling after a small public mistake.

Complete: "This book is very ___. I can't stop reading it."

Answer: interesting

The book causes the feeling, so use -ing: interesting.

Which way of giving an opinion works best everywhere?

Answer: I think it's wrong.

"I think" is natural everywhere. "According to me" and "as per me" sound odd to many international listeners; "I am agree" is a grammar mistake.

A colleague says, "My grandmother passed away last week." The best reply is...

Answer: I'm so sorry for your loss.

"I'm so sorry for your loss" is the kind, standard reply.

"I was relieved" means...

Answer: I felt better because a worry was gone.

Relieved = राहत, the good feeling when a worry ends.

Which word has a silent h?Related

Answer: hour

"Hour" sounds like "our". That is why we say "an hour", not "a hour".

From Silent letters and -ed and -s endings

What is the -ing form of "sit"?Related

Answer: sitting

Short verbs double the last letter: sitting.

From Present continuous: what is happening now

Complete: "They ___ at the party last night."Related

Answer: were

They + were.

From Simple past: talking about yesterday

Which is the best order for a story?Related

Answer: Setting, problem, turning point, ending

Start with the setting, then the problem, the turning point and the ending.

From Telling a story well

Pass the quiz (60% or more) or mark this topic as done when you are ready.

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Next: If I were you: imagining and advice (second conditional) →

Next steps

  1. This is the last topic of “Real-life conversations”. The module exam comes next.
  2. Module 8 exam: real-life conversations · 15 questions · 20 min, without help. 5 topics of this module still to finish first.
  3. Then the next module, Grammar for real talk. 59 topics left in the course before the final exam.

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