Words that go together

Relationships word pairs

40 pairs native speakers say together about relationships. Each one is easy to understand; the trick is saying the two words as one. Hear them, then test yourself.

40 pairs4 situationsListen & quiz

Friends and trust

15

close friend

B1

Sarah is my close friend—we've known each other since primary school.

build trust

B1

It takes time to build trust with new colleagues.

close relationship

B1

She has a close relationship with her grandmother and talks to her every day.

common interest

B1

They quickly became friends because they have a common interest in photography.

keep a secret

B1

Can you keep a secret? I have something important to tell you.

keep your word

B1

You can trust Anna to keep her word; she always does what she says.

offer support

B1

When my friend lost her job, I offered support by listening and checking in on her.

old friend

B1

I met up with an old friend from high school last weekend.

school friend

B1

I met my oldest school friend when we were both in Year 7.

set limits

B1

Parents need to set limits on how much time their children spend online.

strong relationship

B1

She has a strong relationship with her parents and talks to them every day.

support network

B1

After moving to a new city, she built a strong support network to help her adjust.

value friendship

B1

I really value friendship because my friends always support me when I need help.

maintain contact

B1

After graduating, I tried hard to maintain contact with my university friends.

Getting along

12

avoid conflict

B1

She tries to avoid conflict by listening carefully and staying calm during discussions.

fully support

B2

I fully support your decision to study abroad.

genuine interest

B1

She showed a genuine interest in learning about different cultures.

healthy relationship

B1

It's important to have a healthy relationship with your parents so you can talk about your problems openly.

meaningful conversation

B1

After dinner, we had a meaningful conversation about our future plans.

mutual respect

B1

A healthy friendship is built on mutual respect and trust.

offer help

B1

She offered help when she saw me carrying heavy bags.

show respect

B1

It's important to show respect to your teachers by listening carefully in class.

social skills

B1

Good social skills can help you make friends more easily.

strong influence

B1

My parents had a strong influence on my choice of career.

strong personality

B1

Maria has a strong personality, so people often listen to her ideas in meetings.

shared responsibility

B1

Raising children is often a shared responsibility between parents.

Family life

10

family member

B1

Every family member helped prepare the meal for the holiday.

close family

B1

Only my close family came to the small wedding ceremony.

family history

B1

My grandmother often tells me stories about our family history and where our ancestors came from.

family support

B1

After losing his job, he relied on family support to get through the tough period.

family tradition

B1

Every December, our family tradition is to bake cookies together and decorate the house.

hold hands

B1

The little girl held her mother’s hand as they crossed the street.

supportive family

B1

I feel lucky to have such a supportive family who always encourages me to follow my dreams.

visit relatives

B1

We usually visit relatives during the holidays.

young child

B1

It's important for a young child to get enough sleep every night.

parental support

B1

Many students achieve better results when they have strong parental support.

Social life

3

familiar face

B1

It was nice to see a familiar face at the party when I didn’t know anyone else.

social event

B1

The company is organizing a social event for all employees next Friday.

warm welcome

B1

The staff gave us a warm welcome when we arrived at the hotel.

Fill the gap

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Read the sentence, then pick the relationships word pair that belongs in the gap.

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