Image by Bruce Emmerling from Pixabay
Summer is here!
It’s June, which means that summer is right around the corner. So let’s look at some English vocabulary and expressions that will help you talk about longer days, warmer weather, and outdoor activities.
The weather is beautiful.
For many people, the weather is the greatest thing about summer. Here are some expressions that you can use. Gorgeous means really beautiful. Lovely means very nice, very pleasant.
- The weather is beautiful/gorgeous/perfect/lovely today.
It’s a beautiful/gorgeous/perfect/lovely day. - It’s sunny. The sun is shining. There’s lots of sun.
- There are no clouds in the sky. There isn’t a cloud in the sky.
The skies are blue. It’s a clear day. - There’s a nice/gentle/cool/refreshing breeze.
- The air is fresh.
I love the fresh air.
It’s too hot!
Of course, not everyone loves summer weather. If you’re one of those people, you may want to complain about the heat. It doesn’t change the temperature, but it might make you feel better! Sweltering means very hot. If a day is very hot, you can say that it’s a scorcher. (To scorch means to burn the surface of something by directing a flame at it.) If there’s moisture in the air, that’s humidity, and the adjective is humid. Muggy is a conversation way of saying humid.
- It’s too hot today.
It’s sweltering hot. It’s a scorcher today! It’s hot as *hell!
[*Hell is a rude word for some people. If you want to be very careful, say it’s hot as heck.] - It’s very humid. There’s a lot of humidity.
It’s muggy.
When we’re hot, we sweat. If you sweat a lot, you can say that you’re covered in sweat. If you’ve got a lot of sweat on your skin or on your clothes, you can say I’m dripping or I’m drenched (very wet). Two common idiomatic expressions that mean I’m very hot are I’m dying of the heat and I’m melting. If you really don’t like the heat, you can say I can’t stand the heat.
- I’m hot. I’m sweating. I’m covered in sweat.
I’m dripping. I’m drenched. - I’m dying of the heat. I’m melting out here!
- I can’t stand this heat.
- I’m sweating my butt/behind/*ass off.
[*Ass is a word that you shouldn’t use in polite situations! Butt and behind are gentler words for the same part of your body.]
In the summer, you probably have different ways of cooling off: using a fan or air-conditioner, or maybe taking a dip in the pool, which means going for a quick, refreshing swim.
- I need to cool off.
- Put the air-conditioner on! Put the AC on!
Turn the AC way up! - A fan isn’t going to do the trick. We need air-conditioning!
- I need to take a dip in the pool to cool off.
Let’s go outside!
When the weather is nice in the summer, you’ll hopefully have a chance to take advantage of it and get outside, or get some fresh air. Whether you like relaxing outdoor activities or sports, there’s usually something for everyone in the summer.
- Let’s get some fresh air.
- Let’s go for a walk. Let’s take a walk. Let’s go for/take a stroll.
- I want to go to the park. Let’s go sit/hang out in the park.
- I want to sit in the sun. I want to get some sun.
- We’re having a picnic/barbecue/cookout this weekend.
- Let’s grill some hotdogs/hamburgers/vegetables.
- Let’s go for a bike ride.
- Let’s go for a hike in the mountains.
- I’m going to go for a run.
- Let’s play tennis/basketball/volleyball/soccer/baseball.
Do you feel like playing tennis/basketball/volleyball/soccer/baseball?
How about a game of tennis/basketball/volleyball/soccer/baseball? - We’re going rock climbing.
- Let’s sit and watch the sunset.
Let’s go to the beach.
The beach is a favorite summer destination. How many of these words do you recognize? a swimsuit/swimming trunks/a bikini, a towel, sunglasses, sunscreen, a beach umbrella, a surfboard, a boogie board, a snorkel, a diving mask. Here are some things you may see at the beach: the ocean/the sea, a wave, the surf, sand, seashells, a sandbar, a lighthouse, high/low tide, a seagull, a crab, a jellyfish, a starfish, a fish, a shark, a dolphin, a boat, a dock/a pier, a jetty, the boardwalk.
Some other expressions that will come in handy are:
- I want to lie in the sun. I want to sunbathe.
- Let’s go swimming. Let’s go for a swim. Let’s take a dip.
- I’m getting a suntan. I’m getting some sun. I’m getting some color.
- Don’t get a sunburn! Put some sunscreen on!
- Let’s build a sandcastle.
- Let’s play in the waves/surf.
- Let’s go surfing. Let’s go body surfing. Let’s go boogie boarding.
- Let’s go snorkeling.
- Let’s look for seashells/shells.
A Quiet Summer Night
The sun sets late in the summer, but there’s nothing like a nice summer night, whether you’re having drinks outside with your friends, or you’re just sitting and listening to nature.
- It’s so quiet/calm/peaceful tonight.
- Let’s sit outside/under the stars.
- The night is cool. It cools off/cools down at night.
- I hear crickets/bullfrogs.
- I see lightning bugs/fireflies.
- Do you have any insect repellent/bug spray? I’m getting bitten by mosquitos.
- The breeze is blowing through the trees.
- The moon is rising/coming up.
- Tomorrow will be another beautiful day.
Enjoy the summer!
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