Vocabulary: Idioms & Expressions
B1 Lesson 5: Introduction to Basic Idioms
What is an Idiom? 🤔
An idiom is a phrase where the meaning is not what the individual words say. You cannot guess the meaning; you must learn the phrase as a whole.
Classic Example: "Raining cats and dogs"
If someone says "It's raining cats and dogs," they don't mean animals are falling from the sky! It's an idiom that simply means "it's raining very heavily."
Common English Idioms
a piece of cake
Meaning: Something that is very easy to do.
"I was worried about the exam, but it was a piece of cake!"
cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: To be very expensive.
"I'd love to buy a new iPhone, but it costs an arm and a leg."
hit the books
Meaning: To study very hard.
"Final exams are next week, so I really need to hit the books."
once in a blue moon
Meaning: Something that happens very rarely.
"I'm so busy, I only see my old friends once in a blue moon."
when pigs fly
Meaning: Something that will never, ever happen.
"He said he will pay me back the money tomorrow. That'll happen when pigs fly!"
Tips for Learning Idioms 💡
How to Learn Idioms
The best way to learn idioms is to listen for them in movies and conversations. When you hear a phrase that doesn't make literal sense, it's probably an idiom! Try to learn one or two new ones each week and use them in your own speaking practice.
Practice Your Idioms 🎯
Quiz: What Does It Mean?
Choose the best idiom from the lesson to complete each sentence.
- If a test was very easy, it was _______.
→ a piece of cake - I wanted to buy a new motorbike, but it _______. It was too expensive for me.
→ cost an arm and a leg - I have a huge exam tomorrow, so tonight I can't go out. I have to _______.
→ hit the books - He said he will become the King of Cambodia. That will happen _______.
→ when pigs fly
Your Vocabulary Mission ⭐
Use an Idiom
Write a sentence for each situation using an idiom from the lesson.
- Situation: Your friend helped you fix your bicycle, and it was very easy.
Example Answer: "Thanks for your help! With you, it was a piece of cake." - Situation: Describe something you don't do very often, like visiting a relative who lives far away.
Example Answer: "I only visit my cousins in Pailin once in a blue moon."
Key Vocabulary
- Fluency The ability to speak or write a language easily, well, and quickly.
- Literal The most usual or basic meaning of a word or phrase.
- Idiom A group of words with a meaning that is different from the meanings of the individual words.
- Rarely Not often.