🏕️ Outdoors

⏱ 16 min read

In this lesson you will learn useful everyday English vocabulary and expressions for talking about outdoor activities, camping, hiking, exploring nature, and spending time in the mountains, forests, and parks. Each English word or phrase includes a simple meaning plus translations in several languages.

🟢 Basic Outdoor Vocabulary

🏕️ Camping
staying outdoors, often in a tent
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Campamento
🇫🇷 French: Camping
🇩🇪 German: Camping
🇮🇹 Italian: Campeggio
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Acampamento
🏔️ Mountain
a very high area of land
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Montaña
🇫🇷 French: Montagne
🇩🇪 German: Berg
🇮🇹 Italian: Montagna
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Montanha
🌲 Forest
a large area full of trees
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Bosque
🇫🇷 French: Forêt
🇩🇪 German: Wald
🇮🇹 Italian: Foresta / Bosco
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Floresta / Bosque
🏞️ Park
an outdoor place for walking and nature
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Parque
🇫🇷 French: Parc
🇩🇪 German: Park
🇮🇹 Italian: Parco
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Parque
🥾 Hiking
walking a long way on outdoor trails
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Senderismo
🇫🇷 French: Randonnée
🇩🇪 German: Wandern
🇮🇹 Italian: Escursionismo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Caminhada / Trekking
⛺ Tent
a small shelter you sleep in outdoors
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Tienda de campaña
🇫🇷 French: Tente
🇩🇪 German: Zelt
🇮🇹 Italian: Tenda
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Tenda

🟡 Nature & Outdoor Vocabulary

🔥 Campfire
a fire you make at a campsite
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Fogata / Hoguera
🇫🇷 French: Feu de camp
🇩🇪 German: Lagerfeuer
🇮🇹 Italian: Falò
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fogueira
🥾 Trail
a path for walking in nature
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Sendero
🇫🇷 French: Sentier
🇩🇪 German: Wanderweg / Pfad
🇮🇹 Italian: Sentiero
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Trilha / Percurso
🎒 Backpack
a bag you wear on your back
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Mochila
🇫🇷 French: Sac à dos
🇩🇪 German: Rucksack
🇮🇹 Italian: Zaino
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Mochila
🏡 Cabin
a small house in the woods or mountains
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Cabaña
🇫🇷 French: Cabane / Chalet
🇩🇪 German: Hütte
🇮🇹 Italian: Capanna / Baita
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cabana
🌊 Lake
a large area of water with land around it
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Lago
🇫🇷 French: Lac
🇩🇪 German: See
🇮🇹 Italian: Lago
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Lago
🌳 Nature
plants, animals, and outdoor places
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Naturaleza
🇫🇷 French: Nature
🇩🇪 German: Natur
🇮🇹 Italian: Natura
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Natureza

🔵 Outdoor Activities & Actions

🏕️ To go camping
to sleep outdoors, usually in a tent
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Ir de campamento / Ir de camping
🇫🇷 French: Faire du camping
🇩🇪 German: Campen gehen
🇮🇹 Italian: Andare in campeggio
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Ir acampar
🥾 To go hiking
to walk on trails in nature
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Hacer senderismo
🇫🇷 French: Faire de la randonnée
🇩🇪 German: Wandern gehen
🇮🇹 Italian: Fare trekking / Escursionismo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fazer caminhada / Ir fazer trekking
⛺ To pitch a tent
to set up a tent so you can sleep in it
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Montar una tienda de campaña
🇫🇷 French: Monter une tente
🇩🇪 German: Ein Zelt aufschlagen
🇮🇹 Italian: Montare una tenda
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Montar uma tenda
🔥 To make a campfire
to start a fire at camp
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Hacer una fogata / Hacer una hoguera
🇫🇷 French: Faire un feu de camp
🇩🇪 German: Ein Lagerfeuer machen
🇮🇹 Italian: Accendere un falò
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fazer uma fogueira
🌲 To explore
to look around a new outdoor place
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Explorar
🇫🇷 French: Explorer
🇩🇪 German: Erkunden
🇮🇹 Italian: Esplorare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Explorar
🎒 To carry a backpack
to wear a bag on your back
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Llevar una mochila
🇫🇷 French: Porter un sac à dos
🇩🇪 German: Einen Rucksack tragen
🇮🇹 Italian: Portare uno zaino
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Levar uma mochila

🧠 Talking About Outdoor Activities

💡 Use go + activity with certain outdoor activities to talk about going somewhere to do them.
We're going camping this weekend.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Vamos de campamento este fin de semana.
🇫🇷 Nous partons en camping ce week-end.
🇩🇪 Wir gehen dieses Wochenende campen.
🇮🇹 Andiamo in campeggio questo fine settimana.
🇵🇹 Vamos acampar este fim de semana.
My friends are going on a hike tomorrow.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Mis amigos van de excursión mañana.
🇫🇷 Mes amis partent en randonnée demain.
🇩🇪 Meine Freunde gehen morgen wandern.
🇮🇹 I miei amici vanno in escursione domani.
🇵🇹 Os meus amigos vão fazer uma caminhada amanhã.
💡 Use go hiking or hike to talk about what you do outdoors.
We go hiking whenever we visit the mountains.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Hacemos senderismo siempre que visitamos las montañas.
🇫🇷 Nous faisons de la randonnée chaque fois que nous visitons les montagnes.
🇩🇪 Wir wandern immer, wenn wir die Berge besuchen.
🇮🇹 Facciamo trekking ogni volta che visitiamo le montagne.
🇵🇹 Fazemos caminhadas sempre que visitamos as montanhas.
I like hiking along quiet trails.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Me gusta hacer senderismo por caminos tranquilos.
🇫🇷 J'aime faire de la randonnée sur des sentiers tranquilles.
🇩🇪 Ich wandere gerne auf ruhigen Wegen.
🇮🇹 Mi piace fare trekking su sentieri tranquilli.
🇵🇹 Gosto de fazer caminhadas por trilhos tranquilos.
💡 Use there is / there are to say what you can find or what exists in an outdoor location.
There is a lake at the end of the trail.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Hay un lago al final del sendero.
🇫🇷 Il y a un lac au bout du sentier.
🇩🇪 Am Ende des Weges gibt es einen See.
🇮🇹 C'è un lago alla fine del sentiero.
🇵🇹 Há um lago no fim da trilha.
There are several trails that cross the forest.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Hay varios senderos que atraviesan el bosque.
🇫🇷 Il y a plusieurs sentiers qui traversent la forêt.
🇩🇪 Es gibt mehrere Wege, die den Wald durchqueren.
🇮🇹 Ci sono diversi sentieri che attraversano il bosco.
🇵🇹 Há várias trilhas que atravessam a floresta.

❓ Useful Outdoor Activity Questions

🥾 Is there a trail near here?
asking if a walking path is close
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Hay algún sendero cerca de aquí?
🇫🇷 French: Y a-t-il un sentier près d'ici ?
🇩🇪 German: Gibt es hier in der Nähe einen Wanderweg?
🇮🇹 Italian: C'è un sentiero qui vicino?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Há alguma trilha perto daqui?
🏕️ Where can we camp?
asking where it is allowed to put up a tent
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Dónde podemos acampar?
🇫🇷 French: Où pouvons-nous camper ?
🇩🇪 German: Wo können wir campen?
🇮🇹 Italian: Dove possiamo accamparci?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Onde podemos acampar?
⛰️ How long does it take to reach the top?
asking how much time the climb needs
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Cuánto se tarda en llegar a la cima?
🇫🇷 French: Combien de temps faut-il pour arriver au sommet ?
🇩🇪 German: Wie lange dauert es, den Gipfel zu erreichen?
🇮🇹 Italian: Quanto tempo ci vuole per arrivare in cima?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quanto tempo se demora a chegar ao cimo?
🎒 What do we need to bring for the hike?
asking which things to pack for walking
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Qué necesitamos llevar para la excursión?
🇫🇷 French: Qu'est-ce que nous devons emporter pour la randonnée ?
🇩🇪 German: Was müssen wir für die Wanderung mitnehmen?
🇮🇹 Italian: Cosa dobbiamo portare per l'escursione?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O que precisamos levar para a caminhada?

💬 Common Outdoor Phrases

🏕️ This weekend, we're going to camp beside a lake surrounded by mountains.
we will sleep next to a mountain lake
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Este fin de semana vamos a acampar junto a un lago rodeado de montañas.
🇫🇷 French: Ce week-end, nous allons camper près d'un lac entouré de montagnes.
🇩🇪 German: Dieses Wochenende werden wir neben einem See campen, der von Bergen umgeben ist.
🇮🇹 Italian: Questo fine settimana andremo a campeggiare accanto a un lago circondato da montagne.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Este fim de semana vamos acampar junto a um lago rodeado de montanhas.
🥾 We like discovering new trails when we go walking in the forest.
we enjoy finding new forest paths
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Nos gusta descubrir senderos nuevos cuando salimos a caminar por el bosque.
🇫🇷 French: Nous aimons découvrir de nouveaux sentiers quand nous sortons marcher dans la forêt.
🇩🇪 German: Wir entdecken gerne neue Wege, wenn wir im Wald spazieren gehen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ci piace scoprire nuovi sentieri quando usciamo a camminare nel bosco.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Gostamos de descobrir trilhas novas quando saímos a caminhar pela floresta.
🔥 When it started to get cooler, we sat around the campfire.
we sat by the fire as the air got colder
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Cuando empezó a refrescar, nos sentamos alrededor de la fogata.
🇫🇷 French: Quand il a commencé à fraîchir, nous nous sommes assis autour du feu de camp.
🇩🇪 German: Als es anfing, kühler zu werden, setzten wir uns um das Lagerfeuer.
🇮🇹 Italian: Quando ha iniziato a rinfrescare, ci siamo seduti intorno al falò.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quando começou a refrescar, sentámo-nos à volta da fogueira.
🏞️ From this viewpoint, you can see much of the national park.
this high place looks over a large park
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Desde este mirador se puede ver gran parte del parque nacional.
🇫🇷 French: Depuis ce point de vue, on peut voir une grande partie du parc national.
🇩🇪 German: Von diesem Aussichtspunkt aus kann man einen großen Teil des Nationalparks sehen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Da questo belvedere si può vedere gran parte del parco nazionale.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Deste miradouro se pode ver grande parte do parque nacional.

💬 Everyday Conversations

Planning a hiking trip
choosing a trail that goes to a lake
A: Do you want to go hiking with me on Saturday?
B: Sure. We can choose a trail that goes all the way to the lake.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: ¿Quieres hacer senderismo conmigo el sábado?
🇪🇸 B: Claro. Podemos elegir un sendero que llegue hasta el lago.

🇫🇷 A: Tu veux faire de la randonnée avec moi samedi ?
🇫🇷 B: Bien sûr. On peut choisir un sentier qui va jusqu'au lac.

🇩🇪 A: Willst du am Samstag mit mir wandern gehen?
🇩🇪 B: Klar. Wir können einen Weg wählen, der bis zum See führt.

🇮🇹 A: Vuoi fare trekking con me sabato?
🇮🇹 B: Certo. Possiamo scegliere un sentiero che arriva fino al lago.

🇵🇹 A: Queres fazer caminhada comigo no sábado?
🇵🇹 B: Claro. Podemos escolher uma trilha que vá até ao lago.
Setting up camp
choosing a flat place to put the tent
A: Where are we going to pitch the tent?
B: There's a flat spot near those trees that looks perfect.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: ¿Dónde vamos a montar la tienda de campaña?
🇪🇸 B: Hay un lugar plano cerca de esos árboles que parece perfecto.

🇫🇷 A: Où allons-nous monter la tente ?
🇫🇷 B: Il y a un endroit plat près de ces arbres qui a l'air parfait.

🇩🇪 A: Wo wollen wir das Zelt aufschlagen?
🇩🇪 B: Es gibt eine flache Stelle in der Nähe dieser Bäume, die perfekt aussieht.

🇮🇹 A: Dove andiamo a montare la tenda?
🇮🇹 B: C'è un posto pianeggiante vicino a quegli alberi che sembra perfetto.

🇵🇹 A: Onde vamos montar a tenda?
🇵🇹 B: Há um sítio plano perto daquelas árvores que parece perfeito.

📝 Example Sentences

🏔️ After several hours of walking, we reached a viewpoint with spectacular views of the mountains.
the long walk ended at a high lookout
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Después de varias horas caminando, llegamos a un mirador con vistas espectaculares de las montañas.
🇫🇷 French: Après plusieurs heures de marche, nous sommes arrivés à un point de vue avec des vues spectaculaires sur les montagnes.
🇩🇪 German: Nach mehreren Stunden Gehen haben wir einen Aussichtspunkt mit spektakulärem Blick auf die Berge erreicht.
🇮🇹 Italian: Dopo diverse ore di cammino, siamo arrivati a un belvedere con viste spettacolari sulle montagne.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Depois de várias horas a caminhar, chegámos a um miradouro com vistas espetaculares das montanhas.
🎒 I always carry water, some food, and a light jacket in my backpack.
my pack holds drinks, snacks, and a jacket
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Siempre llevo agua, algo de comida y una chaqueta ligera en la mochila.
🇫🇷 French: Je porte toujours de l'eau, un peu de nourriture et une veste légère dans mon sac à dos.
🇩🇪 German: Ich habe immer Wasser, etwas Essen und eine leichte Jacke im Rucksack.
🇮🇹 Italian: Porto sempre acqua, un po' di cibo e una giacca leggera nello zaino.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Levo sempre água, alguma comida e um casaco leve na mochila.
🌊 The trail ends beside a peaceful lake hidden among the trees.
the path stops at a quiet lake in the woods
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: El sendero termina junto a un lago tranquilo escondido entre los árboles.
🇫🇷 French: Le sentier se termine près d'un lac tranquille caché parmi les arbres.
🇩🇪 German: Der Weg endet an einem ruhigen See, der zwischen den Bäumen versteckt liegt.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il sentiero termina accanto a un lago tranquillo nascosto tra gli alberi.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A trilha termina junto a um lago tranquilo escondido entre as árvores.
⛺ We pitched the tent before it started to get dark.
we set up camp while there was still light
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Montamos la tienda de campaña antes de que empezara a oscurecer.
🇫🇷 French: Nous avons monté la tente avant qu'il ne commence à faire sombre.
🇩🇪 German: Wir haben das Zelt aufgeschlagen, bevor es anfing, dunkel zu werden.
🇮🇹 Italian: Abbiamo montato la tenda prima che iniziasse a fare buio.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Montámos a tenda antes de começar a escurecer.
🌲 We spent the morning following a trail that crossed a quiet part of the forest.
we walked a calm forest path all morning
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Pasamos la mañana recorriendo un sendero que atravesaba una zona tranquila del bosque.
🇫🇷 French: Nous avons passé la matinée à suivre un sentier qui traversait une zone calme de la forêt.
🇩🇪 German: Wir haben den Morgen damit verbracht, einem Weg zu folgen, der einen ruhigen Teil des Waldes durchquerte.
🇮🇹 Italian: Abbiamo passato la mattina percorrendo un sentiero che attraversava una zona tranquilla del bosco.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Passámos a manhã a percorrer uma trilha que atravessava uma zona tranquila da floresta.
🏡 We rented a small cabin to spend a few days surrounded by nature.
we stayed in a small house in the woods
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Alquilamos una pequeña cabaña para pasar unos días rodeados de naturaleza.
🇫🇷 French: Nous avons loué une petite cabane pour passer quelques jours entourés de nature.
🇩🇪 German: Wir haben eine kleine Hütte gemietet, um ein paar Tage inmitten der Natur zu verbringen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Abbiamo affittato una piccola capanna per passare alcuni giorni circondati dalla natura.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Alugámos uma pequena cabana para passar alguns dias rodeados de natureza.

🏆 Final Practice

English in the Real World:

Read the situation. Choose the best word or phrase from the lesson.
Question 1 of 8
✅ Correct: 0
❓ Questions: 0
🎯 Accuracy: 0%