Learn American English idioms in a fun way
If you’re learning English, it can be frustrating when you hear someone say “you’re not going to have that.” or “I’m not going to let you get away with that.”
If you don’t understand these phrases, it can seem like you are being mocked. But there’s nothing wrong with them.
American English has its own idioms that are similar to British English, but they’re different enough to make it challenging to know which one you’re using.
In this post, I’ll help you figure out what each one means and how to use them in everyday conversations.
STEP 1: Understand What They Mean
If you’re not sure what an idiom is, this is the place to start.
An idiom is a word or phrase that contains a meaning that’s different from its literal meaning. For example, if you were asked “do you know where the bathroom is?” you would likely reply “yes” even though you don’t know where the bathroom is.
That’s because the word “bathroom” has a different meaning than just a room with a bathtub.
When you hear someone say “I’m not going to have that”, they’re probably talking about something they want or need.
“I’m not going to have that” means “I won’t accept that”. You could say it to someone who wants something for free:
Person: “Hey, I’m not going to have that.”
You: “What are you talking about?”
Person: “I’m not going to have that.”
You: “So what are you saying? Are you trying to say you won’t take it?”
Person: “Yes.”
STEP 2: Learn American English Idioms
In order to use an idiom correctly, you’ll need to understand its literal meaning. To do this, you should look up the idiom on a dictionary and see what the definition is.
Once you’ve learned the literal meaning, you can use the idiom correctly.
If you don’t know the idiom, don’t worry. You don’t need to learn it all at once. You can start by learning one or two of them.
There’s nothing wrong with picking up an idiom every so often. It will help you be more fluent in English.
STEP 3: Learn American English Idioms for Business
Idioms are a great way to communicate with your clients.
You can use them to make yourself sound smarter. You can use them to make your product sound better. And you can even use them to make your service sound more valuable.
When you learn idioms, you’ll learn how to speak like an expert.
For example, if you’re a web developer, you could use the phrase “I’m not going to let you get away with that.” when talking to a client about a design they want to change.
If you have the resources, you could ask your designer to help you create the mockup.
If you don’t have the resources, you can say you don’t have time to do it. If your designer is willing to help you, you can ask for a discount.
If they tell you they don’t want to help, you can say you won’t have that.
You can use this trick to help people see that you understand their needs and want to help them.