英単語は、全部を一気に覚えなくていい
高校受験の英語では、単語を知っているだけで読める文がかなり増えます。
でも、最初から難しい単語を全部覚えようとすると、すぐに苦しくなります。
まずは、入試の英文でよく見る単語を、意味のかたまりごとに覚えましょう。
英単語は「英語 → 日本語」だけで覚えるより、
どんな文で使うかまで一緒に見ると覚えやすくなります。
覚える順番
英単語は、次の順番で覚えると文が読みやすくなります。
- 動詞:文の中心になる。「する」「行く」「思う」など
- 名詞:人・もの・場所・ことを表す
- 形容詞・副詞:様子や程度を表す
- 接続詞・前置詞:文と文、語と語をつなぐ
- 熟語:いくつかの単語がセットになった表現
たとえば protect は「守る」という意味です。
protect nature と出てきたら、「自然を守る」と読めます。
単語だけでなく、近くの言葉も一緒に見るのが大切です。
1. まず覚えたい基本動詞
動詞は英文の中心です。主語の後ろに置かれることが多く、「何をするのか」を表します。
| 英単語 | 意味 | 例文 |
| be | 〜です・いる・ある・〜になる | I want to be a teacher. |
| have | 持っている・ある | I have a pen. |
| do | する | I do my homework. |
| go | 行く | I go to school. |
| come | 来る | Please come here. |
| make | 作る・〜にする | My mother makes lunch. |
| take | 取る・連れて行く・時間がかかる | I take a bus. |
| get | 手に入れる・着く・〜になる | I get up at six. |
| give | 与える・あげる | I give him a book. |
| use | 使う | I use this dictionary. |
| like | 好きである | I like English. |
| want | ほしい・〜したい | I want to play soccer. |
| know | 知っている | I know his name. |
| think | 思う・考える | I think so. |
| look | 見る・〜に見える | Look at this picture. |
| see | 見る・会う・わかる | I see many stars. |
| watch | じっと見る | I watch TV. |
| read | 読む | I read books. |
| write | 書く | Write your name. |
| speak | 話す | I speak Japanese. |
| tell | 話す・教える | Please tell me the way. |
| ask | たずねる・お願いする | Ask your teacher. |
| study | 勉強する | I study math. |
| learn | 学ぶ・覚える | We learn English. |
| teach | 教える | She teaches science. |
| play | 遊ぶ・スポーツをする・演奏する | I play tennis. |
| enjoy | 楽しむ | We enjoy music. |
| live | 住む・生きる | I live in Japan. |
| work | 働く・うまくいく | He works in Tokyo. |
| help | 助ける・手伝う | Please help me. |
| try | 試す・やってみる | I try again. |
| need | 必要とする | I need water. |
| feel | 感じる | I feel happy. |
| become | 〜になる | He became famous. |
| leave | 去る・出発する・残す | I leave home at seven. |
| keep | 保つ・飼う | Keep the room clean. |
| bring | 持ってくる | Bring your notebook. |
| buy | 買う | I buy a new bag. |
| sell | 売る | They sell vegetables. |
| show | 見せる・示す | Show me your notebook. |
2. 長文によく出る名詞
名詞は「人・もの・場所・こと」の名前です。長文では、話題の中心になることが多いです。
| 英単語 | 意味 | 例文 |
| people | 人々 | Many people visit Kyoto. |
| child | 子ども | The child is happy. |
| children | 子どもたち | Children like games. |
| friend | 友だち | He is my friend. |
| family | 家族 | My family is large. |
| parent | 親 | My parents are kind. |
| teacher | 先生 | Our teacher is busy. |
| student | 生徒・学生 | I am a junior high school student. |
| school | 学校 | I go to school. |
| class | 授業・クラス | English class is fun. |
| homework | 宿題 | I have much homework. |
| question | 質問・問題 | This question is easy. |
| answer | 答え | I know the answer. |
| story | 物語・話 | This story is interesting. |
| letter | 手紙・文字 | I wrote a letter. |
| book | 本 | This book is old. |
| newspaper | 新聞 | My father reads a newspaper. |
| language | 言語 | English is a language. |
| word | 単語・言葉 | Learn ten words every day. |
| time | 時間・時刻・回数 | I have no time. |
| day | 日・1日 | Have a nice day. |
| week | 週 | I play soccer every week. |
| month | 月 | June is a month. |
| year | 年 | This year is important. |
| morning | 朝 | I study in the morning. |
| evening | 夕方・晩 | I watch TV in the evening. |
| place | 場所 | This is a quiet place. |
| country | 国・田舎 | Japan is my country. |
| city | 市・都市 | Tokyo is a big city. |
| town | 町 | I live in this town. |
| station | 駅 | The station is near here. |
| street | 通り | This street is busy. |
| way | 道・方法 | Tell me the way. |
| room | 部屋 | My room is small. |
| door | ドア | Open the door. |
| water | 水 | Water is important. |
| food | 食べ物 | Japanese food is delicious. |
| breakfast | 朝食 | I eat breakfast at seven. |
| lunch | 昼食 | I have lunch at school. |
| dinner | 夕食 | We eat dinner together. |
| music | 音楽 | I like music. |
| sport | スポーツ | Soccer is a popular sport. |
| game | 試合・ゲーム | The game was exciting. |
| picture | 絵・写真 | Look at this picture. |
| movie | 映画 | I watched a movie. |
| computer | コンピューター | I use a computer. |
| phone | 電話 | My phone is new. |
| animal | 動物 | I like animals. |
| plant | 植物 | Plants need water. |
| nature | 自然 | We must protect nature. |
| earth | 地球・大地 | The earth is our home. |
3. 形容詞・副詞
形容詞は「どんな」、副詞は「どのように・どれくらい」を表します。長文の気持ちや様子をつかむ手がかりになります。
| 英単語 | 意味 | 例文 |
| good | よい | This book is good. |
| bad | 悪い | This is a bad idea. |
| new | 新しい | I have a new bag. |
| old | 古い・年をとった | This temple is old. |
| young | 若い | He is young. |
| big | 大きい | This city is big. |
| small | 小さい | My room is small. |
| long | 長い | This river is long. |
| short | 短い・背が低い | The story is short. |
| high | 高い | The mountain is high. |
| low | 低い | The price is low. |
| large | 大きい・広い | The park is large. |
| many | 多くの | Many students like soccer. |
| much | 多くの | I have much time. |
| few | 少しの | I have a few books. |
| little | 小さい・少しの | I have a little water. |
| important | 重要な | This word is important. |
| different | 違った | We have different ideas. |
| same | 同じ | We are in the same class. |
| interesting | おもしろい | This story is interesting. |
| difficult | 難しい | English is difficult. |
| easy | 簡単な | This question is easy. |
| happy | 幸せな・うれしい | I am happy. |
| sad | 悲しい | She looks sad. |
| busy | 忙しい | My mother is busy. |
| free | 自由な・ひまな・無料の | Are you free today? |
| early | 早い | I get up early. |
| late | 遅い | He came late. |
| fast | 速い | He runs fast. |
| slow | 遅い・ゆっくりの | Walk slowly. |
| usually | ふつう・たいてい | I usually walk to school. |
| often | よく・しばしば | I often play tennis. |
| sometimes | ときどき | I sometimes read books. |
| always | いつも | She always studies hard. |
| never | 決して〜ない | I never eat breakfast late. |
| again | 再び・もう一度 | Please say it again. |
| together | 一緒に | We study together. |
| also | 〜もまた | I also like science. |
| still | まだ | He is still sleeping. |
| already | すでに | I have already finished it. |
4. 接続詞・前置詞
接続詞や前置詞は小さい単語ですが、文の流れを決めます。but、because、if などは特に大切です。
| 英単語 | 意味 | 例文 |
| and | そして・〜と | I like cats and dogs. |
| but | しかし | I am tired, but I am happy. |
| or | または | Tea or coffee? |
| because | なぜなら | I stayed home because it rained. |
| when | 〜するとき | When I was young, I lived in Osaka. |
| if | もし〜なら | If it rains, I will stay home. |
| that | 〜ということ・あの | I think that he is right. |
| so | だから・とても | I was tired, so I slept. |
| before | 〜の前に | Wash your hands before dinner. |
| after | 〜の後に | I study after school. |
| with | 〜と一緒に・〜を使って | I went there with my friend. |
| without | 〜なしで | I cannot live without water. |
| for | 〜のために・〜間 | This is for you. |
| to | 〜へ・〜すること | I go to school. |
| from | 〜から | I am from Japan. |
| in | 〜の中に・〜に | I live in Saitama. |
| on | 〜の上に・〜に | The book is on the desk. |
| at | 〜で・〜に | I get up at six. |
| by | 〜によって・〜までに | I go to school by bike. |
| about | 〜について | This book is about animals. |
| between | 〜の間に | The park is between the schools. |
| during | 〜の間に | I studied during summer vacation. |
| until | 〜まで | I waited until five. |
| than | 〜より | This is bigger than that. |
| as | 〜として・〜のように | He works as a teacher. |
5. 入試長文で差がつく単語
高校受験の長文では、学校生活・文化・環境・将来・ボランティアなどの話題がよく出ます。次の単語は意味を知っていると読みやすくなります。
| 英単語 | 意味 | 例文 |
| experience | 経験 | This was a good experience. |
| practice | 練習・練習する | Practice is important. |
| problem | 問題・困ったこと | We have a problem. |
| reason | 理由 | Tell me the reason. |
| idea | 考え・思いつき | I have a good idea. |
| culture | 文化 | Japanese culture is interesting. |
| history | 歴史 | I like history. |
| future | 未来・将来 | Think about your future. |
| dream | 夢 | My dream is to be a teacher. |
| chance | 機会・チャンス | This is a good chance. |
| event | 行事・できごと | The event was fun. |
| festival | 祭り | The festival is famous. |
| volunteer | ボランティア | She is a volunteer. |
| environment | 環境 | We must protect the environment. |
| energy | エネルギー | Solar energy is useful. |
| information | 情報 | We need information. |
| communication | 意思の伝達 | Communication is important. |
| message | 伝言・メッセージ | I got a message. |
| opinion | 意見 | What is your opinion? |
| example | 例 | This is a good example. |
| result | 結果 | What was the result? |
| change | 変化・変える | The weather changed. |
| continue | 続ける | Please continue reading. |
| decide | 決める | I decided to study hard. |
| hope | 望む・希望 | I hope so. |
| believe | 信じる | I believe him. |
| remember | 覚えている・思い出す | Remember this word. |
| forget | 忘れる | Do not forget your bag. |
| understand | 理解する | I understand English. |
| explain | 説明する | Please explain it. |
| receive | 受け取る | I received a letter. |
| send | 送る | I sent an e-mail. |
| choose | 選ぶ | Choose the best answer. |
| build | 建てる・作る | They built a bridge. |
| carry | 運ぶ | Please carry this box. |
| grow | 成長する・育てる | Plants grow fast. |
| happen | 起こる | What happened? |
| protect | 守る | Protect the environment. |
| produce | 生産する・作り出す | This factory produces cars. |
| share | 共有する・分け合う | We share ideas. |
| spend | 過ごす・使う | I spent two hours studying. |
| stay | 滞在する・いる | I stayed at home. |
| visit | 訪れる | I visited Kyoto. |
| popular | 人気のある | Soccer is popular. |
| famous | 有名な | Kyoto is famous. |
6. よく出る熟語
熟語は、単語がいくつか集まって1つの意味になります。1語ずつ訳すより、セットで覚える方が楽です。
| 熟語 | 意味 | 例文 |
| get up | 起きる | I get up at six. |
| go to bed | 寝る | I go to bed at ten. |
| come from | 〜出身である | I come from Japan. |
| look at | 〜を見る | Look at this picture. |
| listen to | 〜を聞く | Listen to me. |
| talk about | 〜について話す | We talked about music. |
| wait for | 〜を待つ | I waited for my friend. |
| look for | 〜を探す | I am looking for my bag. |
| take care of | 〜の世話をする | I take care of my dog. |
| be interested in | 〜に興味がある | I am interested in history. |
| be good at | 〜が得意である | She is good at tennis. |
| be famous for | 〜で有名である | Kyoto is famous for temples. |
| be different from | 〜と違う | This is different from that. |
| a lot of | たくさんの | I have a lot of books. |
| many kinds of | 多くの種類の | There are many kinds of animals. |
| for example | たとえば | For example, I like soccer. |
| of course | もちろん | Of course, you can. |
| after school | 放課後 | I play tennis after school. |
| at first | 最初は | At first, I was nervous. |
| at last | ついに・とうとう | At last, we arrived. |
| one of ... | 〜のうちの1つ | This is one of my favorite books. |
| each other | お互いに | We helped each other. |
| in front of | 〜の前に | The bus stop is in front of the school. |
| at the same time | 同時に | They arrived at the same time. |
| from now on | これからは | I will study hard from now on. |
覚え方のコツ
単語は、1回で完璧に覚えなくて大丈夫です。
忘れて、見直して、また思い出すことで少しずつ定着します。
おすすめの覚え方
- まず日本語の意味を1つだけ覚える
- 例文を声に出して読む
- 動詞なら「誰が何をするのか」を考える
- 似ている単語を一緒に覚える
- 長文で出てきたら、このページに戻って確認する
listen to
look at
wait for
このように、前置詞までセットで覚える熟語は、長文でも英作文でも役立ちます。
間違いやすい単語
hear と listen to
hear は「聞こえる」。listen to は「意識して聞く」。
例
I hear a sound.
I listen to music.
look と see と watch
look は「見る動作」、see は「見える」、watch は「じっと見る」。
例
Look at the board.
I see a bird.
I watch TV.
many と much
many は数えられるもの、much は数えにくいものに使うことが多いです。
例
many books
much water
確認問題
最後に、基本を確認してみましょう。
問題1
protect の意味は何ですか?
問題2
「〜について話す」という熟語は何ですか?
問題3
because は、文の流れでどんな意味になりますか?
問題4
be interested in の意味は何ですか?
問題5
I listen ___ music. の ___ に入る単語は何ですか?
答え
問題1:守る
問題2:talk about
問題3:なぜなら・〜なので
問題4:〜に興味がある
問題5:to
まとめ
英単語は、動詞から覚えると英文が読みやすくなります。
名詞は話題の中心、形容詞・副詞は様子、接続詞は文の流れを表します。
熟語は、1語ずつではなくセットで覚えましょう。
例文と一緒に覚えると、長文読解にも英作文にも使いやすくなります。
完璧に暗記できなくても大丈夫です。わからない単語が出てきたら、何度も戻って確認しましょう。