There are thousands of idioms in the English language. However, most of us don’t know them. I’ve come across a lot of people who can’t communicate properly because they don’t understand the meaning of common expressions. This post will teach you the most useful idioms you need to know in order to communicate effectively.
I’ll start with the most common ones and gradually build up from there.
STEP 1: Learn Basic Words
When it comes to idioms, learning basic words is essential. Many idioms are made up of two or more simple words combined together. The tricky part is knowing how to use them properly.
If you have trouble understanding the meaning of the idiom, you should probably try to learn the individual words first. For example, “Don’t shoot the messenger” means that you shouldn’t hurt someone by pointing out their mistakes. The “messenger” is the word “messenger”. It’s also used for a person who brings bad news.
STEP 2: Understand the Idiom’s Meaning
Once you have learned the individual words, it’s time to learn the idioms’ meaning. I suggest starting with the most common ones. After that, you can move on to more complex ones.
STEP 3: Practice the Idiom
Learning an idiom is great, but if you don’t practice it, it won’t stick in your memory. So after learning a new idiom, try using it in real life as much as possible. If you’re a student, talk about it in class. If you’re a parent, explain it to your kids. Try to get others to use the idiom with you too.
STEP 4: Understand the Idiom’s Origin
Many idioms come from a specific era or place in history. For example, “The cat’s out of the bag” comes from when people used to keep secrets in a sealed container called a “cat”. This was done because people thought that cats had sharp claws and would tear up the container if they got out.
STEP 5: Find the Idioms’ Meaning
If you have trouble understanding an idiom, try looking it up online. You might find an explanation there. If not, try using Google Translate to translate it. If it still doesn’t make sense, then you should probably ask someone who knows the meaning.
STEP 6: Make it Your Own
I’ve noticed that many idioms are similar, but they use different words. This means that they can be used in different ways. The way you use them is up to you.
STEP 7: Enjoy Yourself
Finally, idioms are fun. They give us a chance to express ourselves in a different way. So why not take advantage of this opportunity? You’ll soon start to notice how much more comfortable you feel when you’re using idioms.