Inglês para idosos: vocabulário essencial

"Could you speak more slowly, please?"

A polite request for the other person to reduce their speaking speed so you can follow the conversation.

""Could you speak more slowly, please?" she asked the pharmacist, and he was happy to repeat the instructions clearly."

"I beg your pardon?"

A formal and polite way to ask someone to repeat what they said because you did not hear or understand them.

"When the receptionist used a new medical term, he replied, "I beg your pardon?" and she explained it simply."

"Would you mind writing that down?"

A request for written confirmation of information, especially useful when spoken details are hard to remember.

""Would you mind writing that down?" she asked the doctor, pulling out a small notepad from her handbag."

"I am not quite following you."

A gentle phrase to signal that you do not understand and need the speaker to explain again or differently.

""I am not quite following you — could you explain that part about the dosage again?" he said to the nurse."

"Let me make sure I understand."

A phrase used to summarise what you have heard and confirm your understanding before acting on information.

""Let me make sure I understand — I take one tablet in the morning and one at night?" she confirmed."

"Could you repeat that, please?"

A direct but polite request to hear a piece of information again, especially in noisy environments or phone calls.

"The background noise in the post office was loud, so she asked, "Could you repeat that, please?""

"I would appreciate your help."

A courteous way to ask for assistance without sounding demanding, particularly useful in service settings.

""I would appreciate your help setting up this new phone," he told his neighbour with a grateful smile."

"Is there a simpler way to say that?"

A request for plain language when technical jargon or complex phrasing makes communication difficult.

"After the lawyer used several legal terms, she asked, "Is there a simpler way to say that?" and he obliged."

"I have been having trouble with…"

A natural way to begin describing a symptom or health problem to a medical professional.

""I have been having trouble with my left knee for about two weeks now," she told the physiotherapist."

"prescription medication"

Medicine that can only be obtained with a written order from a licensed doctor, as opposed to over-the-counter drugs.

"The pharmacist reminded him that prescription medication must be taken exactly as directed by the physician."

"follow-up appointment"

A scheduled visit to a doctor or specialist after an initial consultation to check progress or review test results.

"Her follow-up appointment was set for two weeks after the procedure to check how the wound was healing."

"side effects"

Unwanted or unexpected reactions to a medication or treatment, which should always be reported to a doctor.

"The leaflet listed possible side effects, including dizziness and dry mouth, which she noted carefully."

"blood pressure reading"

A measurement of the force of blood against artery walls, expressed as two numbers such as 120 over 80.

"The nurse took his blood pressure reading and reassured him that 122 over 78 was well within the healthy range."

"over-the-counter"

Describing medicine that can be bought without a prescription directly from a pharmacy or shop.

"The doctor said the mild cold did not require anything special — an over-the-counter decongestant would be enough."

"medical history"

A record of a person's past illnesses, operations, allergies, and medications, shared with healthcare providers.

"Before the operation, the surgeon reviewed her full medical history to check for any known allergies."

"referral"

A formal recommendation from a general practitioner for a patient to see a specialist for a specific condition.

"Her GP gave her a referral to a cardiologist after noticing an irregular heartbeat during the routine check-up."

"video call"

A real-time conversation conducted over the internet in which both parties can see and hear each other, using apps such as Zoom or FaceTime.

"She made a video call to her grandchildren every Sunday morning, which quickly became the highlight of her week."

"username and password"

The two pieces of information — a chosen name and a secret code — required to log in to an online account.

"He wrote his username and password in a secure notebook to avoid being locked out of his email again."

"spam email"

Unwanted, unsolicited messages sent in bulk, often attempting to sell something or steal personal information.

"The community centre warned seniors to delete spam email immediately without clicking any links inside."

"update"

A newer version of software installed on a device to fix problems and add new features; updating regularly improves security.

"The volunteer showed her how to install a software update on her tablet so the screen would stop freezing."

"wi-fi"

A wireless network connection that allows devices to access the internet without a physical cable.

"The library offered free wi-fi, so he could browse the internet and video call his daughter while waiting for his appointment."

"tap and swipe"

The two fundamental touch-screen gestures: tapping selects an item; swiping scrolls or moves between screens.

"The instructor demonstrated how to tap and swipe on the new smartphone, and within minutes the class was navigating confidently."

"online scam"

A fraudulent scheme carried out over the internet to trick people into giving away money or personal details.

"She forwarded the suspicious message to her son, who confirmed it was an online scam pretending to be her bank."

"download"

The process of saving a file, photo, or application from the internet onto a personal device for use later.

"The doctor's surgery asked her to download their app to book appointments and view test results."

"How have you been keeping?"

A warm, slightly formal British and Irish expression used to ask how someone has been doing since you last met.

""How have you been keeping?" she asked her old friend warmly as they met for tea after three months apart."

"It is lovely to hear from you."

A friendly phrase used when receiving a phone call, letter, or message from someone you care about.

""It is lovely to hear from you!" she said when her grandson called unexpectedly on a Tuesday afternoon."

"I was just thinking about you."

An affectionate expression used to show that someone has been on your mind, often used to open a phone call.

""I was just thinking about you," she told her old colleague, "and wondering how you are settling into retirement.""

"We must get together soon."

A social phrase expressing the desire to meet in person, used to maintain connections and make tentative plans.

""We must get together soon," he said at the end of the call. "Perhaps a walk in the park next Saturday?""

"Give my regards to…"

A polite expression used to send your warm wishes to a third person through the person you are speaking with.

""Please give my regards to your mother," she said. "Tell her I think of her often.""

"I appreciate you calling."

A sincere expression of gratitude for someone taking the time to telephone you.

""I appreciate you calling to check on me," the elderly gentleman told his neighbour. "It means a great deal.""

"Long time no see."

An informal, friendly expression used when meeting someone you have not seen for a considerable amount of time.

""Long time no see!" said the barber cheerfully when his regular customer walked in after a month away."

"You look well."

A complimentary and encouraging thing to say when someone appears healthy and in good spirits.

""You look well!" she told her friend at the community lunch, and the compliment clearly brightened the woman's day."

"aisle seat"

A seat on a plane, train, or bus located next to the central walkway, making it easier to get up and move about.

"Because of his knee, he always requested an aisle seat so he could stretch his leg during the flight."

"assistance at the airport"

A service provided by airlines and airports for passengers who need help with mobility, luggage, or navigation.

"She booked assistance at the airport in advance and was met at the check-in desk by a helpful member of staff."

"travel insurance"

A policy that covers medical emergencies, cancellations, lost luggage, and other unexpected problems while travelling.

"Her doctor advised her never to travel without travel insurance, especially now that she was on regular medication."

"connecting flight"

An intermediate flight that a passenger must take as part of a journey to a destination that is not served directly.

"Her connecting flight in Amsterdam gave her a two-hour layover, plenty of time for a slow walk to the gate."

"return ticket"

A ticket that covers both the outward journey to a destination and the journey back, also called a round-trip ticket.

"He bought a return ticket to Lisbon so he could visit his daughter and come back within ten days."

"senior railcard"

A discounted travel pass available to passengers above a certain age that reduces the cost of rail journeys.

"With her senior railcard, she saved almost a third on every train journey and travelled far more often than before."

"local transport"

Buses, trams, metro systems, and other forms of public transport available within a city or town.

"Rather than hiring a car, he relied entirely on local transport in Barcelona and found it cheap and easy to use."

"travel adaptor"

A device that allows electrical plugs from one country to be used in the wall sockets of another country.

"She packed a universal travel adaptor so she could charge her phone and CPAP machine in any country."

"spaced repetition"

A study technique in which vocabulary is reviewed at gradually increasing intervals to move new words into long-term memory.

"She used a spaced repetition app on her tablet every morning before breakfast and doubled her active vocabulary within two months."

"passive vocabulary"

Words that a learner can recognise and understand when reading or listening, but cannot yet use confidently when speaking or writing.

"Her passive vocabulary in English was large after years of watching films, but her active vocabulary still needed building."

"active vocabulary"

Words that a learner can use correctly and comfortably in their own speech and writing.

"The tutor focused on turning passive vocabulary into active vocabulary through regular conversation practice."

"language exchange"

An arrangement in which two people with different native languages take turns teaching each other their language.

"She found a language exchange partner in Australia online — they spoke Spanish for thirty minutes and English for thirty."

"immersion"

A learning approach in which the student surrounds themselves with the target language through media, conversations, and reading as much as possible.

"His form of immersion was simple: English radio in the morning, an English audiobook in the afternoon."

"mother tongue"

The first language a person learned as a child at home, also called a native language or first language.

"Her mother tongue was Russian, but after thirty years in London her English was nearly indistinguishable from a native speaker's."

"false friend"

A word in a foreign language that looks or sounds similar to a word in your own language but has a different meaning.

""Sensible" is a classic false friend for Spanish speakers — it means reasonable in English, not sensitive."

"consistent practice"

The habit of studying or using English regularly every day or several times a week, which is proven to be more effective than occasional long sessions.

"Her tutor reminded her that fifteen minutes of consistent practice daily was worth more than a three-hour session once a week."