Have you ever noticed that we don’t always say what we mean? Sometimes we have two words that have two meanings but you put them together and they have a new meaning. Every morning I get up at 7 o’clock. What is get up? I know that get means receive and I know that up is the direction of the sky but get up is not to receive in the direction of the sky, right?
What is an idiom expression in English?
When you put words together to create a meaning that is different from the meaning of the individual words, you create what we call an idiomatic expression or an idiom. Idioms come from spoken language and they are basically new vocabulary that we create using old vocabulary because we are too lazy or unimaginative to think of new words. Or perhaps because by using words that already exist, we can give a clue to the meaning.
Some idioms are easy to guess because of the words that make them. For example, get up (get out of bed), look around (browse), eat out (eat at a restaurant). But beware. They may have some hidden meaning that you cannot guess. Eating out means going out (to a restaurant) and eating but it does not mean eating outside (you don’t have to be under the stars). If you eat at a table just outside your house, we say eating outside not eating out.
The meanings of other idioms are harder to guess. For example, work out (exercise), kick the bucket (to die), give up (quit).
Why should you use idioms in English?
Idioms are usually unique to a language so it is important that you do not try to translate an idiom into your first language or you will get confused. Try it. Translate kick, the and bucket into your own language. Do you get the meaning of to die?
Learning idiomatic expressions is important when learning English because they are a common and natural way that native speakers communicate, but also useful in helping you to sound more fluent and natural when speaking or writing in English. Using them correctly can also help you to convey your message more effectively, packing a lot of meaning into a few words.
Furthermore, idiomatic expressions are often used in informal settings such as conversations with friends, and they can help you to connect with native speakers and understand the culture better.
Learning idiomatic expressions is therefore an essential aspect of mastering English language proficiency and fluency.
Idioms are fun to learn and they make the language much more colourful so if you are interested to learn more, I recommend picking up a good dictionary for idiomatic expressions or Googling every time you hear a combination of words that seems to make no sense. Enjoy.
