promise
gb/pɹˈɑməs/ us/pɹˈɑməs/
A2
Kiingereza
~ 2500
Maana
maana 0
Kitenzi
A2
action
1
Say you will do something
To say you will surely do or give something in the future.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to promise [someone] [something]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse 'promise' with 'hope'; 'hope' expresses desire, but 'promise' expresses commitment.
Visawe
pledge (More formal and serious than 'promise', often used in official contexts.)
Vinyume
break (To fail to do what you said you would do.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
promise faithfully
|promise to help
|promise someone something
|keep a promise
Mada
communication
|relationships
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- I promise I'll call you when I arrive.
- She promised to finish the report by Friday.
- They promised him a promotion if he met his targets.
- He promised his parents he would study harder.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I promise to help you.
- She promised to come to my party.
- They promised me a new bike.
- He promised to call me tomorrow.
Nomino
A2
entity
2
A statement of commitment
Words that say someone will surely do or give something later.
Muundo wa matumizi:
make/keep/break a promise
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes use 'promise' without an article when it needs one, e.g., 'I made promise' instead of 'I made a promise'.
Visawe
commitment (Implies a strong moral or formal obligation, not just words.)
Vinyume
lie (In this context, a false statement with no intention of fulfilling it.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
make a promise
|keep a promise
|break a promise
|empty promise
Mada
communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- He made a promise to help her move house.
- It was a promise she intended to keep.
- Breaking a promise can damage trust.
- The politician's promises were met with skepticism.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I made a promise to my friend.
- She kept her promise to visit me.
- He broke his promise.
- We must keep our promises.
Nomino
B1
property
3
Potential for success
A sign that someone or something may be good or successful later.
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may confuse this sense with the 'commitment' meaning; here it refers to potential, not a guarantee.
Visawe
potential ('Potential' is more general and can refer to any capability, not just positive signs.)
Vinyume
hopelessness (The state of having no chance for improvement or success.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
show promise
|full of promise
|hold promise
Mada
career
|education
|personal development
|business
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- The young athlete shows great promise.
- This new technology holds promise for cancer treatment.
- Her early work was full of promise.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- He shows promise as a writer.
- This idea has promise.
- She is full of promise.
- The project holds much promise.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
promise
IPA
GB/pɹˈɑməs/
US/pɹˈɑməs/
Silabi na mkazo
prom - ise (silabi 2)
Stress on 1st syllable (prom)
Maumbo ya neno
Noun
- Base: promise
- Plural: promise, promises
Verb
- Base: promise
- 3rd Person Singular: promises
- Present Participle: promising
- Past: promised
Familia ya neno
Forms
promises
noun
promising
verb
promised
verb
Related words
promisingly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unpromising
adjective C1
Advanced or less common
promissory
adjective
Semi
break a promise
1/bɹˈeɪk ə pɹˈɑməs/
fixed phrase
Fail to do what you promised
To not do what you said you would do before.
Mifano
- He broke his promise and didn't show up.
- Breaking a promise can hurt someone's feelings.
empty promise
1/ˈɛmpti pɹˈɑməs/
fixed phrase
Promise with no intention to keep it
A promise that someone will not really keep.
Mifano
- Many voters felt the campaign pledges were empty promises.
- He made empty promises just to keep her happy.
keep a promise
1/kˈip ə pɹˈɑməs/
fixed phrase
Do what you promised
To do what you said you would do before.
Mifano
- She always keeps her promises, no matter how difficult it is.
- Keeping a promise builds trust between people.
show promise
1/ʃˈoʊ pɹˈɑməs/
fixed phrase
Display signs of potential success
To seem like you will be good or successful later.
Mifano
- The new software shows promise in early tests.
- She shows great promise as a pianist.