English Help Online's Blog

I have another adjective for you today, and this week the word is “spontaneous”. It is used to talk about people who suddenly decide to do something in the moment without planning it before. For example:

Karen is a very spontaneous person. One time, on a Friday night after work, she suddenly decided to fly to Korea for the weekend.

A: Hey, why don’t we drive out and visit your family?

B: Right now? I didn’t think you were such a spontaneous person.

My wife thinks we’ve become a boring couple. She wants us to be more spontaneous.

A: Why did you buy such an expensive coat?

B: I didn’t plan to buy it. It was a spontaneous decision. I saw it in a store window and just decided I wanted to have it.

I don’t think I’ve ever done anything spontaneous in my life. I feel more comfortable when I have a plan.

So, when we use the word “spontaneous”, it can describe a person’s personality, as in the first three examples, or it can describe the decision, as in the last two examples.