IDIOMS – Definition

An IDIOM is a group of words with a unique meaning. Knowing what the individual words mean doesn’t usually help you understand the meaning of an idiom.

Many idioms are passed from generation to generation. Some families have favorites.

Some people use a lot of idioms in their speaking. Some people use very few. As you become more comfortable in English, you will “find your voice”, and the way you use idioms will become a part of your personal speaking style.

Often when we learn a new idiom in class, one of the students will recognize it from their first language. Sometimes the meaning is the same, but the words are a little different.

For example, in English we say: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

It means that when we are old, we resist changing the way we do things. (e.g., My grandpa doesn’t want to learn how to use a computer. He says that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.)

Spanish speakers have an idiom with a similar meaning, except instead of a dog, the Spanish idiom is about a monkey!

Idioms are fun and interesting to learn.

List of English Idioms and expressions