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Muse English is a free English learning app with daily lessons across all 6 CEFR levels (A1 Beginner to C2 Proficient). Every day brings new vocabulary, a real podcast conversation, shadowing practice, grammar and quizzes — all at museenglishapp.com.
📚 Vocabulary
10 new words Learn new words with real examples and audio.
Podcast: Emotions & Character
Listen to today’s conversation.
📝 Podcast Transcript
Welcome back to Word Kitchen! I'm Maya.
And I'm Lena. Today's show is all about feelings and character — the words we use to describe how we feel and who we are inside.
Yes! Ten simple words that can change your whole English. Let's start with cheerful and confident.
I love the word cheerful. A cheerful person is happy and smiling. My neighbor is so cheerful. She says good morning to everyone with a big cheerful smile.
I know someone like that too. Our teacher is cheerful every single day, and it makes the whole class feel cheerful. Being cheerful is good for everyone around you.
And confident is a different feeling. A confident person believes in themselves. When you are confident, you are not afraid to speak or try new things.
Right. My brother was shy about job interviews, but he practiced a lot, and now he feels confident. He walks in confident and calm, and he always does well.
Oh, that's a great example. Confident and calm often go together. If you stay calm, you look confident. And if you feel confident, it is easier to stay calm.
Exactly. Now let's talk about shy and lonely. These are harder feelings, but everyone knows them.
When I was a child, I was very shy. A shy child feels nervous around new people. I was too shy to say hello to the other kids at school.
That is common. Many shy people are kind and friendly inside — they just need more time. A shy person can still be confident in their own way.
True. And lonely is another hard feeling. Lonely means sad because you are alone. When I moved to a new city, I felt lonely for the first month.
I remember that. But you joined a book club, and soon you were not lonely anymore. Lonely is a feeling, not a forever thing. New friends make the lonely feeling go away.
Let's move to proud and embarrassed. These are feelings about what we do.
Proud is a happy feeling. When you do something good, you feel proud. My parents were so proud when I passed my driving test. They were proud, and I was proud of myself too.
I was proud when I finished my first English class. Being proud of yourself is healthy. But embarrassed is the opposite kind of feeling.
Yes. Embarrassed means uncomfortable after a mistake. Last week I called my teacher by the wrong name, and I felt so embarrassed. My face was red, and I was embarrassed all morning.
Oh no! But mistakes happen. Everyone feels embarrassed sometimes. And a proud moment can come right after an embarrassed moment.
Good point. Now grateful and impatient. Grateful means thankful. I am grateful for my friends, grateful for my job, and grateful for this podcast.
I am grateful too. Being grateful makes you cheerful, don't you think? When you feel grateful, you feel happy and calm inside.
Yes! And impatient is the opposite of calm. An impatient person does not like to wait. My uncle is impatient in traffic. He gets impatient and drives too fast.
I get impatient at the supermarket when the line is long. If you feel impatient, take a breath and stay calm. Being calm is always better than being impatient.
The last two words are sensitive and calm. A sensitive person is easily hurt by words. Be kind to sensitive people. My best friend is sensitive, so I am always careful with my jokes.
That is thoughtful. And calm is a wonderful word. Calm means quiet and not worried. Before an exam, sit down, breathe slowly, and stay calm.
When I feel shy or embarrassed, I try to stay calm. A calm mind helps you feel confident again.
And when you feel lonely or impatient, remember the good things and be grateful. A grateful heart stays cheerful and calm.
Beautiful. Let's quickly review our ten words. Cheerful, confident, shy, lonely, proud, embarrassed, grateful, impatient, sensitive, calm.
Use them this week. Tell a friend you are grateful, stay calm in traffic, and be proud of your English. See you next time on Word Kitchen!
Bye everyone! Stay cheerful!
Wait, Maya, I have a question. Can a person be both shy and confident?
Yes! A shy person can be confident inside. For example, a shy student can feel confident about math. Being shy with people and confident in your skills is very normal.
That is nice to hear. What about proud? Is being proud always good?
Being proud of your work is good. But if you are too proud, you stop listening to others. A calm and cheerful attitude is better than a proud attitude.
Good advice. One more: I sometimes feel lonely at night, even with people around. Is that strange?
Not strange at all. Many people feel lonely sometimes. When you feel lonely, call a friend or write in a journal. Being grateful for small things helps the lonely feeling pass.
And if I feel embarrassed at work?
Smile and stay calm. Say sorry, learn from it, and move on. Everyone has embarrassed moments, even confident leaders.
What about sensitive people at work? My coworker is sensitive and gets upset easily.
Be patient and kind. A sensitive person hears more in your words than you mean. Speak gently, and a sensitive coworker will feel safe with you.
Last one: how do I stop being impatient?
Breathe. Count to ten. An impatient driver or an impatient shopper makes bad choices. A calm person makes better choices. When you feel impatient, choose to be calm.
Thank you, Maya! I feel grateful for this lesson. I am cheerful and calm now.
And I feel proud of our listeners. Keep practicing these words every day!
🎙 Try Shadowing free sample
Listen and repeat along with the studio audio. Full shadowing practice with pronunciation scoring is in the app.
Sara's Day of Feelings
Sara is a cheerful girl with a big smile.
Every morning she wakes up calm and ready for the day.
Train your speaking
Shadow every sentence with studio audio and get your pronunciation scored — only in the Muse English app.
📝Grammar: Choosing between gerunds and infinitives
A **gerund** is verb + **-ing**. We use it **after a preposition**, like **of**, **about**, or **at**. A proud mother is never shy **about asking** questions. We also use a gerund **after some verbs**: enjoy, finish, mind, avoid, keep, miss. A cheerful friend enjoys **sharing** good news. An **infinitive** is **to + verb**. We use it **after an adjective** — after easy, hard, good, or difficult. It is hard **to stay confident** in a new place. We use the infinitive **to show purpose**, the reason we do something. A lonely student joins a club **to find** new friends. We use the infinitive
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