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What is an idiom?

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Quick answer

An idiom is a phrase whose meaning can't be guessed from its individual words, like 'kick the bucket' or 'spill the beans. ' Idioms are figures of speech that a culture understands by convention, not by literal meaning. Its meaning differs from the literal words.

Key things to understand

  1. Its meaning differs from the literal words.
  2. 'Break a leg' means good luck, not an injury.
  3. Idioms are learned by exposure, not by logic.
  4. Every language has its own, often untranslatable, idioms.
  5. They make speech vivid but can confuse learners and translators.

People also ask

What is an example of an idiom?
'It's raining cats and dogs' means it's raining heavily — the meaning has nothing to do with the literal animals.
Why are idioms hard for language learners?
Their meanings can't be worked out from the words, so each must be memorized like a separate vocabulary item.
How are idioms different from slang?
Idioms are fixed figurative phrases understood broadly; slang is informal, often newer vocabulary tied to specific groups.