Guide
How to learn English idioms: 6 practical tips
An idiom is a group of words whose meaning you can't guess from the words alone. Break the ice has nothing to do with ice, and a piece of cake is not about food. That is what makes idioms hard, and also what makes them memorable.
1. Learn the meaning and an example together
A definition tells you what an idiom means; an example shows you when people say it. Always learn both:
- Break the iceHelp people feel comfortable when they first meet.“A short game helped break the ice at the workshop.”
- Call it a dayStop working for now.“We finished the main tasks and decided to call it a day.”
Notice the details: you break the ice at the start of a meeting or an event, and call it a day is something you decide to do, often together with other people.
2. Group idioms by topic
Idioms are easier to remember when they share a situation. Learn the idioms about money together, then the idioms about work, then the idioms about feelings. When that situation comes up in real life, the right idioms come to mind with it.
3. Look for the picture behind the words
Many idioms make sense once you imagine them. If something costs an arm and a leg, it costs something you really can't afford to lose. If you are on the fence, you are sitting between two sides, not yet on either. A mental picture links the words to the meaning.
- Cost an arm and a legBe very expensive.“The repair cost an arm and a leg.”
- On the fenceUndecided between two choices or opinions.“I'm still on the fence about accepting the offer.”
4. Learn the exact words
Idioms are fixed. You can say it's a piece of cake but not it's a slice of cake, and spill the beans doesn't work as spill the peas. Learn the idiom word for word, including small words like a, the and on. Some idioms also vary between countries: in American English you take something with a grain of salt, while British speakers usually say a pinch of salt.
5. Check the tone before you use one
Some idioms work in almost any situation; others are informal or playful. On the same page and get the ball rolling are common at work. Break a leg is a friendly wish before a performance, and when pigs fly is a joking way to say never. If you are unsure, try an idiom in conversation before you use it in formal writing.
- Break a legAn informal wish for good luck, especially before a performance.“Break a leg! I hope your first stage performance goes well.”
- When pigs flyNever; the event is extremely unlikely.“He says he'll clean his room when pigs fly.”
6. Practise a few at a time
Fifty idioms in one evening are hard to keep. Choose three or four, use each one in a sentence about your own life, and come back to them over the next days. The English Idioms app is made for this: see each idiom in context, study with flashcards and test yourself, in a few minutes a day.
Where to start
If idioms are new to you, start with everyday ones such as piece of cake, on the same page, under the weather and once in a blue moon. Then browse the full list of 80 idioms by topic, and read how idioms differ from phrasal verbs.