English vocabulary for the beach

What do you take with you onto the beach?

You will probably need to protect yourself against the sun's rays, so high-factor suncream or sunblock will be useful. Sunglasses and a sun hat are also recommended.

Some people sit under parasols, which are like large umbrellas. On English beaches, where the weather is more unpredictable, a wind-break (piece of fabric stretched between wooden poles) will keep the wind away!

What do you wear to sunbathe, or to get a tan? A bikini (or two-piece) for women, or a swimming costume. Men will probably wear swimming trunks. Sandals or flip-flops are useful for walking on the sand. If your skin is delicate, you might need to cover up with a sarong – a long piece of cotton you wrap around your waist to cover your legs – a T shirt or a pair of shorts. (Short trousers.)

You can sit on a deckchair, or recline on a sun-lounger. Some people even lie on an inflatable mattress in the sea – a lilo. Or you can lie out on a towel under the sun to catch as many rays as possible.

Finally, entertainment. Children like buckets and spades so they can build sandcastles. Personally, I prefer to read a good book on the beach. But some people take along beach balls, or frisbees (plastic discs) to throw to each other. The more sporty play volley ball or badminton. My father used to take along the radio to listen to the cricket scores – very English! Nowadays, people take along their walkman or ghetto blaster to listen to music. Perhaps the most common sound nowadays, though, is mobile phones. Aaaagh!