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You're keeping abouta third of whatyou learn.

Here's the one-page sheet that gets the rest back, and the handbook that explains why it works. Same 10 minutes whatever language you're learning, and the ~650 words worth knowing first come in yours.

Two files. The handbook, worked in Spanish, and the word list in Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese. Take more than one.

What the research says
80vs36% Recall a week later: tested on the words, versus re-reading them
6 of 20 New words from a lesson you still have by the next one, if nothing brings them back
What arrives
2 files The handbook, worked in Spanish, and the word list on its own
~650 Words in frequency order, 3 tick boxes each, in the language you pick

Karpicke & Roediger, Science, 2008. Every study cited in the book, in one checkable list.

The arithmetic

You're paying full price for 6 words in every 20

Think back to your last lesson, or your last real conversation in the language. Without checking your notes, name 5 new words from it.

Most people get 2, maybe 3. That's not a discipline problem. In 1885 Hermann Ebbinghaus measured how fast memorised material decays and the answer was brutal: most of it gone within days for new, unconnected material. Researchers reran the experiment in 2015 with modern methods and got the same curve.

So here's the uncomfortable maths. You spend an hour, and money if it's a lesson. You learn 20 new words. If nothing brings them back, you keep about 6. The correction that made you go "ohh" at minute 23 is unrecoverable by Thursday.

The fix is 10 minutes and a system, and it starts before any flashcard app.

1885
When we first measured how fast this happens. Replicated in 2015.
80% / 36%
Recall a week later: tested on the words, versus re-reading them. Karpicke & Roediger, Science, 2008.
1.5–2 hrs
A week of admin to run this method by hand. The book counts it in a table.
Check it first

The finding the whole sheet is built on

Karpicke and Roediger, in Science, 2008. Students learned 40 Swahili-English pairs. Then the researchers changed one thing: what happened after a word was first answered correctly.

Recall one week later, drawn to scale
Kept being tested
80%
Re-studied instead
36%

Same words. The 36% group ran about 80 more study trials, every one after the word had already been recalled once. The paper reports 36% and 33% for its two dropped-from-testing conditions.

Step 1 of the sheet in the book is a brain dump you write before opening your notes. That's the 80% column, and it's the whole reason the dump comes first. Reading your notes back is the other one.

Every worked example in the handbook is Spanish, and the cover says so. The 5 steps don't change by language. What has to be in yours is the word list, and that's the second file.

Send me the sheet

With the handbook it sits in, and the word list in whichever language you're learning. Free, and you can print any of it.

  • No account to make, and no card, ever
  • Every study named, with its year, so you can go and check it
  • One click unsubscribes, and the files stay yours

Use a real address, that's where the files go.

The handbook

What's actually in it

It's a workbook. The first 4 pages give you the arithmetic and the whole method, so you can run it after your next lesson without reading the rest. Everything after that is either something you do or something that makes the doing believable.

00

The bill you're already paying

Learn 20 new words in an hour and keep about 6 of them. The arithmetic, the three numbers behind it, and the whole method in four moves, so you know what you're doing before any chapter starts.

01

The ten-minute debrief

The product. 5 steps with a time budget on each: brain dump from memory, mine the corrections, list what you reached for and didn't have, schedule all of it, one line to your tutor. A worked example filled in by hand, then the blank sheet, then the checklist. You can run it tonight.

02

Why ten minutes works

Ebbinghaus measuring the decay curve in 1885, Cepeda and colleagues measuring how long to leave a word before you review it, and Karpicke and Roediger in Science: 80% recall a week later for the group that got tested, about 36% for the group that kept restudying and ran about 80 more study trials doing it.

03

The words worth the effort

Why frequency order works, the point where it quits being useful, and how to run 10 a day without drowning. One row of the list, turned into one finished card, start to end.

04

Lessons that hold

Five ground rules to agree with a tutor once: target language only, who takes the notes, recording, what to send beforehand. Plus the message to copy and paste, and how to check they actually did it.

05

25 lines to steal

The exact things to say in the most expensive hour of your week. Getting corrected more, and more honestly. Mining the words you reach for. Escaping work and the weather. One page to keep open during the lesson.

06

Anki, done right, and what it costs

FSRS on, the retention setting, the daily caps, and the three-part card the research supports: a picture, native audio, and the word blanked out of a real sentence. Then the hours, counted honestly, in a table.

07

If you have a date

A trip, an exam, a move. Work backwards: the weekly word arithmetic, where the review load peaks, and what to cut first when you fall behind.

08

Keep the log

A 24-row lesson log and a capture sheet for the words you reached for and didn't have. Then every study cited in the book, in one checkable list, including the note on the two numbers we couldn't source.

Chapters 4 and 5 assume you're working with a tutor. They're marked, and everything else runs on any conversation you have in the language.

Why it works

Four findings the whole book hangs on

Finding one

Lessons fade, fast

Ebbinghaus measured the decay curve in 1885. Most new, unconnected material is gone within days. A 2015 replication with modern methods found the same shape.

Finding two

Spacing resets the curve flatter

Catch a word right before it slips and it lasts longer next time. A 2006 meta-analysis pooled 317 experiments and spaced review beat massed review in essentially all of them. This is about as settled as learning science gets.

Finding three

Retrieval beats re-reading

Karpicke and Roediger, in Science in 2008: students who were tested on foreign vocabulary remembered about 80% a week later. Students who kept restudying the same words, and ran about 80 more study trials doing it, remembered about 36%.

Finding four

Your streak is lying to you

A 400-day streak measures that you opened an app 400 times. Tapping the right tile tests recognition. Speaking to a human needs recall. The book gives you the honest score instead: of the words you learned 30 days ago, how many can you still produce cold?

Every study named in the book is listed at the back with its year, so you can go and check it. More on the research: the science page.

In practice

What a week actually looks like

People imagine this is an hour a day. It isn't, and the book is specific about the numbers so you can decide before you start.

Tuesday, 7pm. Your lesson. You've sent one line beforehand saying what you want out of it, which is chapter 4's whole trick. Your tutor takes the notes, not you, so you're actually talking. You record it, with permission, because you will not remember minute 23.

Tuesday, 8pm. The 10 minutes that decide everything. You dump what you remember before checking anything, because pulling it out of your own head is the strongest review you'll do all day. Then the corrections, then the words you reached for and didn't have. Then you card them. Then one line about next time.

Wednesday to Monday. 10 to 20 minutes of reviews a day, first thing, before anything new. Tuesday's cards come back on a schedule that stretches as you get them right. You add 10 words a day from the list if you have room, and skip that on the days you don't.

The last Sunday of the month. 5 minutes. You test yourself on 20 items you learned 30 days ago and write the number down. That number is the only honest measure of whether any of this is working, and watching it climb is the part people say keeps them going.

Roughly 30 minutes on a lesson day, 15 on the others, plus the card-building, which grows with you and which the book counts honestly in the next section.

The obvious objection

"Can't I just use a language app for this?"

You can, and plenty of people do for years without being able to hold a conversation. Here's the mechanism, because it's worth understanding rather than taking on faith.

Most apps test recognition. They show you a word and 4 options, or ask you to tap tiles into a sentence. You pick the right one, you feel a small win, the streak goes up. But recognising a word you're looking at and producing it from nothing while a human waits are different skills, and only one of them is conversation.

That's the gap people fall into after months of daily practice: the streak is real, the recall isn't. Chapter 2 covers the evidence, and chapter 8 gives you the log that measures the honest version.

The second problem is that a generic app can't know what you got corrected on last Tuesday. The words worth the most to you are the ones you already tried to say and couldn't. No app with a fixed syllabus has access to those. Your own conversations do, which is why the debrief comes before the word list.

The awkward chapter

There's a chapter in here that argues against us

Chapter 6 is a full setup guide for Anki, which is free, and which competes directly with the app we sell. It's in the book because it works: FSRS on, the retention setting, the daily caps, and the three-part card format the research supports.

It also counts the hours. Building cards properly, with a picture, native audio and the word blanked out of a real sentence, takes real minutes per card, every week, forever. The chapter puts that in a table and lets the number land. It comes out at 1.5 to 2 hours a week of pure admin, on top of the reviews.

We left the number in because you'd find out anyway, in week 3, which is where most self-built systems quietly die. If those 2 hours sound fine, go and do it by hand. The book gives you everything you need for that, and we'd rather you learn the language than buy our app.

The method was never the hard part. Doing it after every single lesson is.
Fit

Who this is for

It's for you if

  • You've put real money or real months into this language and it isn't accumulating.
  • You take notes you never open again.
  • You've tried an app streak and can't produce the words when a human is waiting.
  • You have a date coming: a trip, an exam, a move.
  • You'd rather run a system by hand than pay for one, at least for now.

It's not for you if

  • You want a course that teaches you the language. This organises what you're already being taught.
  • You're dabbling. This asks for 10 minutes after every conversation, and it's worth nothing if you run it twice.
  • You want passive listening and no admin. Every method in here asks something of you.
  • You enjoy tuning your deck settings more than speaking. Chapter 6 will make you sad on purpose.
  • You're after a 4-page cheat sheet. This expects to be worked through.
Questions

The obvious ones

Is it actually free?

Yes. One email gets you the handbook and the word list, which is its own file in whichever language you're learning. You'll also get a short 5-day course on the science underneath, and one click stops that.

Do I need a tutor for this to work?

For most of it, no. The debrief works on any conversation you have in the language, including a lesson, a language exchange or a call with a relative. Chapters 4 and 5 are the two that assume a tutor, they're labelled, and they read fine as a preview of what hiring one would buy you.

Do I need the Verbamor app to use it?

No. The book is the method run by hand, deliberately. It names the free tools, including Anki, and counts the hours that route costs you. If those hours are the problem, the app is there. The method is the same either way.

What language is it in?

The handbook is in English and every worked example in it is Spanish. The method doesn't change by language: same 5 steps, same 10 minutes, same sheet, and a Portuguese correction goes on the sheet exactly where a Spanish one does. The word list is the part that has to be yours, so it's a separate file and you pick from Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. Take more than one if you're learning more than one.

Is it for beginners?

It works from your first conversation and it still works at B2, because the debrief is built around your own gaps rather than a fixed syllabus. The word list is most useful in your first year.

Can I print it?

That's the point. A4, print-ready, and the pages meant for a pen are marked so you know which ones to send to the printer. The debrief sheet is designed to be run once per lesson.

Where do the numbers come from?

Every claim with a study behind it names the study and the year, in a list at the back. Two numbers in the book have no paper behind them and there's a page that says which two.

Why are you giving this away?

Because the method was never the hard part. Doing it after every single lesson is. The book is the honest version of that argument, including the chapter that walks you through setting up a free competitor properly.

Or don't do it by hand

The book is the method. The app is the labour.

Every chapter has a note in the margin saying what that step costs you by hand and what Verbamor does instead. The short version: you record the lesson, and the rest happens without you.

It transcribes the recording, pulls out the corrections and the words you reached for and didn't have, builds a card for each one with a picture, native audio and the word blanked out of a real sentence, schedules the reviews so they come back right before you'd forget, and reports your true retention. Same method the book teaches, same research behind it.

The handbook is free either way, and it's complete. If the 1.5 to 2 hours a week is the part that would kill it for you, that's what we sell.

Download on the App Store

The annual plan starts with 7 days free.

Before you type it in

The two things you're actually wondering

“Is this really free, or is there a catch later?”

Really free. No card, no account, no trial that starts counting down. You get both files at full length, and you can print them, keep them and hand them to someone else. We sell a subscription app, and the handbook tells you how to run the whole method without it, including a full setup guide for a free competitor.

“What happens to my email address?”

It gets you the 2 files, then 5 short emails about the research behind them, one a day. After that it goes quiet. We don't sell it, rent it, or pass it to anyone, and there's an unsubscribe link in every email that works on the first click. Unsubscribing doesn't take the files back.

Send me the sheet

It comes inside the handbook, with the word list as a second file. If the debrief sheet is the only thing you ever use, it'll still have been worth the email.

  • The handbook, plus the word list in Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese
  • Print what you want, the pages meant for a pen are marked
  • One click unsubscribes, and the files stay yours

Use a real address, that's where the files go.

The second file, in 4 languages

This is the part that comes in your language

The handbook teaches a method, and a method survives translation: a Portuguese correction goes on the sheet exactly where a Spanish one does. Words don't work like that. So the word list is its own file, and it comes in Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese, built from that language rather than translated out of another one.

A small set of high-frequency words carries most of what gets said in a real conversation. Learn those first and you stop drowning. Learn them in a random order and you waste months. So the list runs in frequency order, printed in full, at 10 a day: about 9 weeks from the top of the sheet to the bottom.

Next to every word there are 3 empty boxes: seen it, said it, stuck. That's what turns a word list into something useful. Seen it is cheap and means almost nothing. Said it out loud to a human is the one that counts. Stuck is what you tick a month later, when it came back without effort.

It used to be 11 pages in the middle of the handbook, which is where readers put the book down. It's its own download now, so the book stays finishable and the list stays printable.

Spanish 646 words, most common first

The first 150 of them, in frequency order. The download has all 646, with the 3 tick boxes on every row, laid out to print.

#SpanishEnglishType
1ir (vamos)to goverb
2pequeño / pequeñasmalladjective
3fácileasyadjective
4preguntar (pregunta)to askverb
5cerrado / cerradaclosedadjective
6decir (dice)to say / to tellverb
7el aguawaternoun
8comer (comen)to eatverb
9grandelarge, bigadjective
10tristesadadjective
11roto / rotabrokenadjective
12la ropaclothingnoun
13el cafécoffeenoun
14sucio / suciadirtyadjective
15el hospitalhospitalnoun
16beber (bebe)to drinkverb
17el pelohairnoun
18el tráficotrafficnoun
19la cocinakitchennoun
20bailar (bailan)to danceverb
21la canciónsongnoun
22la callestreetnoun
23el mercadomarketnoun
24cocinar (cocina)to cookverb
25holahellointerjection
26pelear (pelean)to fightverb
27peligroso / peligrosadangerousadjective
28pensar (piensa)to thinkverb
29caminar (camina)to walkverb
30besar (besa)to kissverb
31enojado / enojadaangryadjective
32difícildifficultadjective
33nuevo / nuevanewadjective
34ancho / anchawideadjective
35tempranoearlyadverb
36cuandowhenconjunction
37la comidamealnoun
38abierto / abiertaopenadjective
39la parada(bus) stopnoun
40élhepronoun
41viejo / viejaoldadjective
42ellos / ellastheypronoun
43bueno / buenagoodadjective
44esoitpronoun
45yo (yo)Ipronoun
46el ejércitoarmynoun
47ustedyou (formal)pronoun
48el segundosecond (unit of time)noun
49escuchar (escuchen)to listenverb
50ayeryesterdayadverb
51el abogado / la abogadalawyernoun
52hoytodayadverb
53ellashepronoun
54malo / malabadadjective
55mañanatomorrowadverb
56nosotroswepronoun
57delicioso / deliciosadeliciousadjective
58duro / durahard, toughadjective
59el fanfan (admirer)noun
60el artista / la artistaartistnoun
61mismo / mismasameadjective
62disparar (disparó)to shootverb
63el menúmenunoun
64diferentedifferentadjective
65la salsasaucenoun
66sed (sed)thirst / thirstynoun
67equivocado / equivocadawrong (incorrect)adjective
68encontrar (encuentra)to findverb
69alegrehappy, joyfuladjective
70trabajar (trabaja)to workverb
71hambre (hambre)hunger / hungrynoun
72este / estathisadjective
73estrecho / estrechanarrowadjective
74hermoso / hermosabeautifuladjective
75sonreír (sonríe)to smileverb
76el sacerdotepriestnoun
77la citadate (romantic)noun
78muerto / muertadeadadjective
79rico / ricarichadjective
80el paraísoheavennoun
81el soldadosoldiernoun
82llamar (llama)to callverb
83el infiernohellnoun
84largo / largalongadjective
85suelto / sueltaloose, free, untiedadjective
86saltar (salta)to jumpverb
87jugar (juegan)to playverb
88la alergiaallergynoun
89vivo / vivaaliveadjective
90correr (corre)to runverb
91la muertedeathnoun
92pobrepooradjective
93probar (prueba)to taste / to try (food)verb
94grueso / gruesathickadjective
95la empresacompany (business)noun
96sordo / sordadeafadjective
97la religiónreligionnoun
98el departamentoflat / apartmentnoun
99oír (oye)to hearverb
100feo / feauglyadjective
101derretir (derrite)to meltverb
102arder (arden)to burnverb
103ese / esathatadjective
104delgado / delgadathinadjective
105cortéspoliteadjective
106tocar (toca)to touchverb
107ciego / ciegablindadjective
108la reuniónmeetingnoun
109el autor / la autoraauthornoun
110jovenyoungadjective
111el actoractornoun
112oler (huele)to smellverb
113grosero / groserarude, disrespectfuladjective
114colgar (cuelga)to hangverb
115ruidoso / ruidosaloud, noisyadjective
116el kilogramokilogramnoun
117cerrar (cierra)to closeverb
118poco profundo / poco profundashallowadjective
119cien (100)one hundrednumber
120eneroJanuarynoun
121el pollochickennoun
122la llavekeynoun
123jalar (jala)to pullverb
124el letrerosign (posted sign)noun
125el equipajeluggagenoun
126empujar (empuja)to pushverb
127la pielskinnoun
128recto / rectastraight (direction)adverb
129el sueñodreamnoun
130el verboverbnoun
131el sábadoSaturdaynoun
132el pantalónpants / trousersnoun
133el jugador / la jugadoraplayer (in a game or sport)noun
134el dientetoothnoun
135la semanaweeknoun
136octubreOctobernoun
137cuál / cuáleswhichpronoun
138quinto / quinta5th (fifth)adjective
139el trajesuitnoun
140la relaciónrelationshipnoun
141la ubicaciónlocationnoun
142el metrosubway / metronoun
143el cobrecoppernoun
144el pezfishnoun
145las llaveskeysnoun
146estar de pie (está de pie)to stand (be standing)verb
147el mundoworldnoun
148la faldaskirtnoun
149el hombremannoun
150la cienciasciencenoun
French 628 words, most common first

The first 150 of them, in frequency order. The download has all 628, with the 3 tick boxes on every row, laid out to print.

#FrenchEnglishType
1aller (allons)to goverb
2petit / petitesmalladjective
3facileeasyadjective
4demander (demande)to askverb
5fermé / ferméeclosedadjective
6dire (dit)to sayverb
7l'eauwaternoun
8manger (mangent)to eatverb
9grand / grandelargeadjective
10tristesadadjective
11cassé / casséebrokenadjective
12le vêtementclothingnoun
13le cafécoffeenoun
14saledirtyadjective
15l'hôpitalhospitalnoun
16boire (boit)to drinkverb
17le cheveuhairnoun
18le trafictrafficnoun
19la cuisinekitchennoun
20danser (dansent)to danceverb
21la chansonsongnoun
22la ruestreetnoun
23le marchémarketnoun
24cuisiner (cuisine)to cookverb
25bonjourhellointerjection
26se battre (se battent)to fightverb
27dangereux / dangereusedangerousadjective
28penser (pense)to thinkverb
29marcher (marche)to walkverb
30embrasser (embrasse)to kissverb
31fâché / fâchéeangryadjective
32difficiledifficultadjective
33nouveau / nouvellenewadjective
34largewideadjective
35tôtearlyadverb
36quandwhenadverb
37le repasmealnoun
38ouvrir (ouvre)openverb
39s'arrêter (s'arrête)stopverb
40ilhepronoun
41vieux / vieilleoldadjective
42ils / ellestheypronoun
43bon / bonnegoodadjective
44jeIpronoun
45l'arméearmynoun
46tuyou (singular, informal)pronoun
47deuxième (2e)secondadjective
48écouter (écoute)to listenverb
49hieryesterdayadverb
50l'avocatlawyernoun
51aujourd'huitodayadverb
52elleshepronoun
53mauvais / mauvaisebadadjective
54demaintomorrowadverb
55nouswepronoun
56délicieux / délicieusedeliciousadjective
57dur / durehardadjective
58le fanfannoun
59l'artisteartistnoun
60mêmesameadjective
61photographier (photographie)to shootverb
62le menumenunoun
63différent / différentedifferentadjective
64la saucesaucenoun
65assoiffé / assoifféethirstyadjective
66faux / faussewrongadjective
67trouver (trouve)to findverb
68content / contentehappyadjective
69travailler (travaille)to workverb
70affamé / affaméehungryadjective
71ce / cet / cette / cesthispronoun
72étroit / étroitenarrowadjective
73beau / bellebeautifuladjective
74sourire (sourit)to smileverb
75le prêtrepriestnoun
76le rendez-vousdate (romantic)noun
77mort / mortedeadadjective
78richerichadjective
79le cielheavennoun
80le soldatsoldiernoun
81appeler (appelle)to callverb
82l'enferhellnoun
83long / longuelongadjective
84amplelooseadjective
85sauter (saute)to jumpverb
86jouer (jouent)to playverb
87l'allergieallergynoun
88vivant / vivantealiveadjective
89courir (court)to runverb
90la mortdeathnoun
91pauvrepooradjective
92goûter (goûte)to tasteverb
93épais / épaissethickadjective
94l'entreprisecompanynoun
95sourd / sourdedeafadjective
96la religionreligionnoun
97l'appartementflatnoun
98entendre (entend)to hearverb
99laid / laideuglyadjective
100fondre (fond)to meltverb
101brûler (brûle)to burnverb
102mincethinadjective
103poli / poliepoliteadjective
104toucher (touche)to touchverb
105aveugleblindadjective
106la réunionmeetingnoun
107l'auteurauthornoun
108jeuneyoungadjective
109l'acteuractornoun
110sentir (sent)to smellverb
111impoli / impolierudeadjective
112accrocher (accroche)to hangverb
113fort / forteloudadjective
114le kilogrammekilogramnoun
115fermer (ferme)to closeverb
116peu profond / peu profondeshallow (depth)adjective
117centone hundred (100)number
118janvierJanuarynoun
119le pouletchickennoun
120la clékeynoun
121tirer (tire)to pullverb
122le panneausignnoun
123le bagageluggagenoun
124pousser (pousse)to pushverb
125la peauskinnoun
126tout droitstraight (direction)adverb
127le rêvedreamnoun
128le verbeverbnoun
129le samediSaturdaynoun
130le pantalonpantsnoun
131le joueurplayernoun
132la denttoothnoun
133la semaineweeknoun
134octobreOctobernoun
135quel / quelle / quels / quelleswhichpronoun
136cinquième (5e)5thadjective
137le costumesuitnoun
138la relationrelationshipnoun
139l'endroitlocationnoun
140le métrosubwaynoun
141le cuivrecoppernoun
142le poissonfishnoun
143être debout (est debout)to standverb
144le mondeworldnoun
145la jupeskirtnoun
146l'hommemannoun
147la sciencesciencenoun
148l'emploi du tempsschedulenoun
149septembreSeptembernoun
150l'épousewifenoun
Italian 623 words, most common first

The first 150 of them, in frequency order. The download has all 623, with the 3 tick boxes on every row, laid out to print.

#ItalianEnglishType
1andare (vado)to goverb
2piccolo / piccolasmalladjective
3facile / facileeasyadjective
4chiedere (chiede)to askverb
5chiuso / chiusaclosedadjective
6dire (dice)to say / to tellverb
7acquawaternoun
8mangiare (mangiamo)to eatverb
9grande / grandelarge, bigadjective
10tristesadadjective
11rotto / rottabrokenadjective
12il caffècoffeenoun
13sporco / sporcadirtyadjective
14l'ospedalehospitalnoun
15bere (beve)to drinkverb
16i capellihairnoun
17il trafficotrafficnoun
18la cucinakitchennoun
19ballare (ballano)to danceverb
20la canzonesongnoun
21la stradastreetnoun
22il mercatomarketnoun
23cucinare (cucina)to cookverb
24litigare (litigano)to fight / to argueverb
25pericoloso / pericolosadangerousadjective
26pensare (pensa)to thinkverb
27camminare (cammino)to walkverb
28baciare (bacia)to kissverb
29arrabbiato / arrabbiataangryadjective
30nuovo / nuovanewadjective
31largo / largawideadjective
32prestoearly / soonadverb
33quandowhenconjunction
34il pastomealnoun
35luihepronoun
36vecchio / vecchiaoldadjective
37lorotheypronoun
38buono / buonagoodadjective
39essoitpronoun
40ioIpronoun
41l'esercitoarmynoun
42tu (Tu)you (singular informal)pronoun
43ascoltare (ascolta)to listenverb
44ieriyesterdayadverb
45l'avvocatolawyernoun
46oggitodayadverb
47leishepronoun
48cattivo / cattivabadadjective
49domanitomorrowadverb
50noi (Noi)wepronoun
51delizioso / deliziosadeliciousadjective
52difficile / difficiledifficultadjective
53il fanfannoun
54l'artistaartistnoun
55lo stesso / la stessasameadjective
56scattare (scatta)to shoot (a photo), to take a photoverb
57il menùmenunoun
58diverso / diversadifferentadjective
59la salsasaucenoun
60assetato / assetatathirstyadjective
61sbagliato / sbagliatawrong, mistakenadjective
62trovare (trovato)to findverb
63felice / felicehappyadjective
64lavorare (lavora)to workverb
65affamato / affamatahungryadjective
66questo / questathisadjective
67bello / bellabeautifuladjective
68sorridere (sorride)to smileverb
69il pretepriestnoun
70l'appuntamentodate (romantic)noun
71morto / mortadeadadjective
72ricco / riccarichadjective
73il paradisoheavennoun
74il soldatosoldiernoun
75chiamare (chiama)to callverb
76l'infernohellnoun
77lungo / lungalongadjective
78sciolto / scioltaloose, untied, freeadjective
79saltare (salta)to jumpverb
80giocare (giocano)to playverb
81l'allergiaallergynoun
82vivo / vivaaliveadjective
83correre (corre)to runverb
84la mortedeathnoun
85povero / poverapooradjective
86assaggiare (assaggia)to tasteverb
87spesso / spessathickadjective
88l'aziendacompany (business)noun
89sordo / sordadeafadjective
90la religionereligionnoun
91sentire (sente)to hearverb
92brutto / bruttauglyadjective
93sciogliersi (si scioglie)to meltverb
94bruciare (brucia)to burnverb
95quel / quellathat (demonstrative adjective)adjective
96magro / magrathinadjective
97educato / educatapolite, well-manneredadjective
98toccare (tocca)to touchverb
99cieco / ciecablindadjective
100la riunionemeetingnoun
101l'autore / l'autriceauthornoun
102giovane / giovaneyoungadjective
103l'attoreactornoun
104annusare (annusa)to smellverb
105maleducato / maleducatarude, impoliteadjective
106appendere (è appeso)to hangverb
107il chilogrammokilogramnoun
108chiudere (chiude)to closeverb
109centoone hundrednumber
110gennaioJanuarynoun
111il pollochickennoun
112tirare (tira)to pullverb
113il cartellosign (notice, placard)noun
114il bagaglioluggage / baggagenoun
115spingere (spinge)to pushverb
116la pelleskinnoun
117dritto / drittastraight (direction)adverb
118il sognodreamnoun
119il verboverbnoun
120sabatoSaturdaynoun
121i pantalonipants / trousersnoun
122il giocatoreplayernoun
123il dentetoothnoun
124la settimanaweeknoun
125ottobreOctobernoun
126qualewhichpronoun
127quinto / quinta5th (fifth)adjective
128l'abitosuit (formal)noun
129la relazionerelationshipnoun
130la posizionelocation, positionnoun
131la metropolitanasubway / metronoun
132il ramecoppernoun
133il pescefishnoun
134la chiavekeynoun
135stare (sta)to stand / to beverb
136il mondothe worldnoun
137la gonnaskirtnoun
138l'uomomannoun
139la scienzasciencenoun
140il programmaschedule, programnoun
141settembreSeptembernoun
142la mogliewifenoun
143l'aereoplane (aircraft)noun
144amare (ama)to loveverb
145il dottore / la dottoressadoctornoun
146perdere (perde)to loseverb
147fermarsi (si ferma)to stopverb
148la temperaturatemperaturenoun
149la bevandabeverage, drinknoun
150il tavolotablenoun
Portuguese 642 words, most common first

The first 150 of them, in frequency order. The download has all 642, with the 3 tick boxes on every row, laid out to print.

#PortugueseEnglishType
1ir (vou)to goverb
2pequeno / pequenasmalladjective
3fácileasyadjective
4perguntar (pergunta)to askverb
5fechado / fechadaclosedadjective
6dizer (diz)to sayverb
7a águawaternoun
8comer (come)to eatverb
9grandelarge, bigadjective
10tristesadadjective
11quebrado / quebradabrokenadjective
12a roupaclothing, clothesnoun
13o cafécoffeenoun
14sujo / sujadirtyadjective
15o hospitalhospitalnoun
16beber (bebe)to drinkverb
17o cabelohairnoun
18o trânsitotrafficnoun
19a cozinhakitchennoun
20dançar (dançam)to danceverb
21a músicasongnoun
22a ruastreetnoun
23o mercadomarketnoun
24cozinhar (cozinha)to cookverb
25oláhellointerjection
26brigar (brigam)to fightverb
27perigoso / perigosadangerousadjective
28pensar (pensa)to thinkverb
29caminhar (caminhar)to walkverb
30beijar (beija)to kissverb
31com raivaangryadjective
32difícildifficultadjective
33novo / novanewadjective
34largo / largawideadjective
35cedoearlyadverb
36quandowhenadverb
37a refeiçãomealnoun
38aberto / abertaopenadjective
39a paradastop (bus stop)noun
40elehepronoun
41velho / velhaoldadjective
42eles / elastheypronoun
43bom / boagoodadjective
44issoit / that (near listener)pronoun
45euIpronoun
46o exércitoarmynoun
47vocêyoupronoun
48o segundosecond (unit of time)noun
49escutar (escuta)to listenverb
50ontemyesterdayadverb
51o advogadolawyernoun
52hojetodayadverb
53elashepronoun
54ruimbadadjective
55amanhãtomorrowadverb
56nóswepronoun
57delicioso / deliciosadeliciousadjective
58duro / durahard, tough, rigidadjective
59o fãfan (admirer)noun
60o artistaartistnoun
61mesmo / mesmasameadjective
62atirar (atira)to shootverb
63o cardápiomenunoun
64diferentedifferentadjective
65o molhosaucenoun
66com sede / sedento / sedentathirstyadjective
67errado / erradawrongadjective
68encontrar (encontra)to findverb
69felizhappyadjective
70trabalhar (trabalha)to workverb
71faminto / famintahungryadjective
72este / estathisadjective
73estreito / estreitanarrowadjective
74bonito / bonitabeautiful / prettyadjective
75sorrir (sorri)to smileverb
76o padrepriestnoun
77o encontrodate (romantic)noun
78morto / mortadeadadjective
79rico / ricarichadjective
80o paraísoheavennoun
81o soldadosoldiernoun
82chamar (chama)to callverb
83o infernohellnoun
84longo / longalongadjective
85solto / soltaloose / freeadjective
86pular (pula)to jumpverb
87brincar (brincam)to playverb
88a alergiaallergynoun
89vivo / vivaaliveadjective
90correr (corre)to runverb
91a mortedeathnoun
92pobrepooradjective
93provar (prova)to tasteverb
94grosso / grossathickadjective
95a empresacompany (business)noun
96surdo / surdadeafadjective
97a religiãoreligionnoun
98plano / planaflat / leveladjective
99ouvir (ouve)to hearverb
100feio / feiauglyadjective
101derreter (derretendo)to meltverb
102queimar (queima)to burnverb
103esse / essathatadjective
104magro / magrathin, slimadjective
105educado / educadapoliteadjective
106tocar (toca)to touchverb
107cego / cegablindadjective
108a reuniãomeetingnoun
109o autor / a autoraauthornoun
110jovemyoungadjective
111o atoractornoun
112cheirar (cheira)to smellverb
113rude / rudarude, impoliteadjective
114pendurar (pendura)to hangverb
115barulhento / barulhentaloud, noisyadjective
116o quilogramakilogramnoun
117fechar (fecha)to closeverb
118raso / rasashallowadjective
119cem (100)one hundred (100)number
120janeiroJanuarynoun
121o frangochickennoun
122a chavekeynoun
123puxar (puxa)to pullverb
124a placasignnoun
125a bagagemluggagenoun
126empurrar (empurra)to pushverb
127a peleskinnoun
128em frente (frente)straight / aheadadverb
129o sonhodreamnoun
130o verboverbnoun
131o sábadoSaturdaynoun
132a calçapants / trousersnoun
133o jogadorplayer (athlete)noun
134o dentetoothnoun
135a semanaweeknoun
136outubroOctobernoun
137qualwhichpronoun
138quinto / quintafifth (5th)adjective
139o ternosuit (men's)noun
140o relacionamentorelationshipnoun
141a localizaçãolocationnoun
142o metrôsubway / metronoun
143o cobrecoppernoun
144o peixefishnoun
145as chavesthe keysnoun
146ficar de pé (fica)to standverb
147o mundoworldnoun
148a saiaskirtnoun
149o homemmannoun
150a ciênciasciencenoun

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