Lesson 7: Idioms Make You Sound Like a Native Speaker

 

An idiom is a phrase, saying, or a group of words with a metaphorical (not literal) meaning, which has become accepted in common usage. An idiom’s symbolic sense is quite different from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made. There are a large number of Idioms, and they are used very commonly in all languages. There are estimated to be at least 25,000 idiomatic expressions in the English language. Idioms evolve the language; they are the building blocks of a language and civilization. They also have great intensity to make a language exciting and dynamic. Idiomatic expressions bring a spectacular illustration to everyday speech and provide compelling insights into the use of words, languages, and their speakers’ thought processes. Idioms have a sense of mystery and fun about them.

So what makes idioms difficult? The answer is their meanings. Idioms are not easy to understand – especially for non-native speakers, because their intentions are usually symbolic. This characteristic makes them strange and difficult to understand for English learners.

·      Barking on the wrong tree

Ketika teman kamu mencari sesuatu di tempat yang salah atau menyalahkan sesuatu kepada orang yang tidak tepat, kamu dapat mengatakan ungkapan ini .

·      Can’t judge a book by its cover

Arti dari kata ungkapan ini adalah kamu tidak bisa menilai seseorang hanya dari penampilan luarnya saja.

·      Cry over spilt milk

Mengeluh mengenai kesalahan/kehilangan yang telah terjadi di masa lalu.

·         Every cloud has a silver lining

Percayalah kepada diri sendiri, karena setiap kesulitan pasti akan berujung kepada hari yang lebih baik.

·      Make a long story short

Berbicara langsung kepada intinya, jangan bertele-tele.

·      Once in a blue moon

Untuk mengungkapkan kejadian yang sangat langka atau sangat jarang terjadi, gunakan ini.