Universal Core Vocabulary · Episode 38
This episode is in English.
Below in teaching order, as in the video: related words sit side by side so you can compare them.
an informal word for a close friend
दोस्त, यार
Usage
Raj and his school buddies still play cricket on Sundays.
Find a study buddy to revise with before the exam.
Common mistake
Respected Principal, my buddy and I request a day's leave.
Respected Principal, my friend and I request a day's leave.
Buddy is informal; use friend in formal writing.
Remember: Buddy: your bud, your best mate.
goods carried by a ship, plane or train
माल, कार्गो
Usage
The ship carried a cargo of cotton from Mundra.
Cargo flights bring fresh fruit to Delhi every night.
Common mistake
The cargos of passengers waited at the airport.
The crowds of passengers waited at the airport.
Cargo is goods, never people.
Remember: Cargo: what the ship or plane carries.
fighting, especially in war; or to fight a problem
युद्ध, लड़ाई; मुक़ाबला करना
Usage
The soldiers trained for months before they saw combat.
Delhi launched a plan to combat air pollution.
Common mistake
We must combat against fake news.
We must combat fake news.
Combat already means fight against; no against.
Remember: Combat: fight it head-on.
a person or animal you spend a lot of time with
साथी
Usage
His dog was his companion for fifteen years.
I met a friendly travel companion on the train to Jammu.
Common mistake
My companion makes cars; it has 5,000 workers.
My company makes cars; it has 5,000 workers.
A company is a business; a companion is a person with you.
Remember: Companion: someone you share bread with.
different but working well together
पूरक
Usage
Rahul bats and Kunal bowls, so their skills are complementary.
Yoga can be complementary to medical treatment.
Common mistake
Breakfast is complementary with the room.
Breakfast is complimentary with the room.
Complimentary means free; complementary means it goes well with.
Remember: Complementary completes; complimentary is free.
being kept in a closed or small space
क़ैद, बंदी
Usage
The prisoner was kept in solitary confinement.
Months of confinement at home made the children restless.
Common mistake
She showed great confinement on the stage.
She showed great confidence on the stage.
Confidence is self-belief; confinement is being shut in.
Remember: Confinement: inside fixed confines.
being awake and aware; or awareness of something
चेतना, होश
Usage
He fainted in the heat and lost consciousness.
She regained consciousness after an hour.
Common mistake
He lost his conscience after the fall and woke up later.
He lost consciousness after the fall and woke up later.
Conscience is your sense of right and wrong.
Remember: Consciousness: you are conscious, awake.
allowed by or about a country's constitution
संवैधानिक
Usage
Free speech is a constitutional right in India.
The Election Commission is a constitutional body.
Common mistake
The court struck down the law as constitutional.
The court struck down the law as unconstitutional.
Courts strike down laws that break the constitution.
Remember: Constitutional: in line with the Constitution.
a claim in an argument; or disagreement
दावा, तर्क; विवाद
Usage
It is my contention that exams test memory, not skill.
Water sharing is a bone of contention between the states.
Common mistake
The teacher asked for our full contention in class.
The teacher asked for our full attention in class.
Attention is focus; contention is a claim or dispute.
Remember: Contention: what two sides contend over.
a confusing problem that is hard to solve
पहेली, उलझन
Usage
Feeding fifty guests on ₹2,000 was a real conundrum.
Choosing between two good colleges is a conundrum.
Common mistake
Two plus two is an easy conundrum.
Two plus two is an easy sum.
A conundrum is hard and puzzling, never easy.
Remember: Conundrum: a riddle that drums in your head.