What do you know about Foreign Language Idioms?
All I know is it’s always fun to learn foreign language idioms. If you randomly bust out one of these idioms in conversation with native speakers, they will be pleasantly surprised or probably just crack up. That’s why I was excited about compiling these idioms from different countries including its audio pronunciation.
But first, I’d like give one ConnectPals member a shout out as she suggested this language exchange challenge. Her name is Ksenia and on one of our blog posts she commented:
Will be great to collect some examples of idioms and common saying in different languages (saying break a leg we wish someone a good luck)
So without further ado, here are the challenge instructions:
CHALLENGE OF THE DAY
We’ll be collecting “idioms” or “idiomatic expressions” in different languages! So let’s help each other out so everyone can contribute
📒So choose an idiom in your language! The more peculiar your idiom, the better!
📱Challenge 1: Writing
1. Write your chosen idiom in your language (romanized version.)
2. Write its literal translation in English.
3. Write what it really means in English.🎙Challenge 2: Audio
4. Record one audio then:
-state your name, country, & language.
-pronounce your idiom clearly (in your language.)
-state its actual meaning in English.
With 40+ nationalities participating in this challenge, here are the idioms or idiomatic expressions shared by our participants. So get your earphones ready!
- Algeria 🇩🇿
- Native Language: Arabic
tar elhamam
Literal translation: Pigeons flew
Actual meaning: the thing or subject that we talked about is done and is too late to be changed.
Language Idiom from Algeria
- Angola 🇦🇴
- Native Language: Portuguese
advogado do diabo
Literal translation: Devil’s advocate
Actual meaning: a person who expresses a contentious opinion in order to provoke debate or test the strength of the opposing arguments.
Language Idiom from Angola
- Argentina 🇦🇷
- Native Language: Spanish
a caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes
Literal translation: Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth (teeth)
Actual meaning: It means when someone give you a gift, you must not criticize the gift. You must be grateful for the gift no matter what it is.
Language Idiom from Argentina
- Australia 🇦🇺
- Native Language: English
a cold one
Actual meaning: Often used when having a few beers at a friends house.
When you finished your drink, you will ask whoever is closest, or up at the fridge to get you a beer.
Language Idiom from Australia
- Austria
- Native Language: German
was der bauer nicht kennt, das frisst er nicht.
Literal translation: What the farmer does not know, he does not eat.
Actual meaning: It’s used when a family member or friend for example don’t want to try new food because it’s new. It also can be used in other topics than food as well.
Language Idiom from Austria
- Brazil 🇧🇷
- Native Language: Portuguese
ferver em pouca água
Literal translation: to boil in a small amount of water
Actual meaning: Those who boil in a small amount of water are very explosive unpredictable people, who have a little patience. Small things make them angry.
Language Idiom from Brazil
- Chile 🇨🇱
- Native Language: Spanish
se me echó la yegua
Literal translation: My mare has decided to lie down
Actual meaning: When you are tired and you don’t want to do anything, you say se me echó la yegua.
Language Idiom from Chile
- China 🇨🇳
- Native Language: Chinese
huà shé tiān zú
Literal translation: Paint a snake with feet.
Actual meaning: Ruin the effect by adding something superfluous
Language Idiom from China
- Czech Republic 🇨🇿
- Native Language: Czech
nemaluj čerta na zeď
Literal translation: Don’t paint a devil on the wall.
Actual meaning: Don’t be so pessimistic, or don’t expect the worst.
Language Idiom from Czech Republic
- Egypt 🇪🇬
- Native Language: Arabic
fe almushamish
Literal translation: in apricot
Actual meaning: an impossible thing or something will never happen.
Language Idiom from Egypt
- England 🏴
- Native Language:English
speak of the devil
Actual meaning: We say this when you are talking about someone and then they appear.
Language Idiom from England
- Ethiopia 🇪🇹
- Native Language: Amharic
yokotun awerdalew bila yebebetuan talech
Literal translation: He/she wanted to get what was too high to reach but ended up dropping what he/she had held in her armpits.
Actual meaning: It means that you sometimes forget what you have and end up losing it because we aim too high.
Language Idiom from Ethiopia
- France 🇫🇷
- Native Language: French
mettre son grain de sel
Literal translation: to put in one’s grain of salt.
Actual meaning: It means to interfere in someone’s business, to give someone unsolicited opinion, to take part in a conversation we are not invited…
Language Idiom from France
- Greece 🇬🇷
- Native Language: Greek
stou koufou tin porta oso theleis vroda.
Literal translation: Knock as much as you wish on a deaf’s man door.
Actual meaning: It’s pointless to try to convince someone who’s unwilling to hear.
Language Idiom from Greece
- Hungary 🇭🇺
- Native Language: Hungarian
kolbászból van a kerítés
Literal translation: Fence is made out of sausage.
Actual meaning: When a place is better than yours or you can be more successful there.
Language Idiom from Hungary
- India 🇮🇳
- Native Language: Hindi
adhjal gagri chalkat jai
Literal translation: An empty vessel make more noise.
Actual meaning: a foolish shouts more but the wise one is calm
Language Idiom from India
- Indonesia 🇮🇩
- Native Language: Indonesian
makan asam garam
Literal translation: eating acid and salt
Actual meaning: Full of life experiences, may they be good or bad.
Language Idiom from Indonesia
- Iran
- Native Language: Farsi
golabi
Literal translation: Pear
Actual meaning: It’s an adjective that is used for lazy and stupid people.
Language Idiom from Iran
- Israel 🇮🇱
- Native Language: Hebrew
lo bokhim al khalav shenishpakh
Literal translation: You don’t cry over spilled milk.
Actual meaning: You shouldn’t be sorry for something that happened, and that you can’t change it.
Language Idiom from Israel
- Italy 🇮🇹
- Native Language: Italian
carta canta, villan dorme
Literal translation: paper sings, peasan sleeps
Actual meaning: When you have something written is more reliable than something just a word of mouth
Language Idiom from Italy
- Japan 🇯🇵
- Native Language: Japanese
tadekuu mushimo sukizuki
Literal translation: There are even bugs that eat knotweed
Actual meaning: Some people like what many people hate. It varies what people like.
Language Idiom from Japan
- Kazakhstan 🇰🇿
- Native Language: Kazakh
eshten kesh zhaqsy
Literal translation: Better late than never
Actual meaning: All the good thing should be done sooner or later.
Language Idiom from Kazakhstan
- Mexico 🇲🇽
- Native Language: Spanish
el que es perico donde quiera es verde
Literal translation: The one who is parrot is green wherever he is.
Actual meaning: This phrase means that the people who is really good at something will still be good at their craft no matter the situation is or wherever they are.
Language Idiom from Mexico
- Myanmar 🇲🇲
- Native Language: Burmese
taw thar
Literal translation: Jungle’s son
Actual meaning: very stupid and uncivilized guy.
Language Idiom from Myanmar
- Paraguay 🇵🇾
- Native Language: Guarani / Spanish
jagua’i
Literal translation: little dog
Actually meaning: A person that is known for informing authority figures of someone’s bad or illegal behavior. Typically used by kids when one of them goes and tells their parents about other’s misbehavior.
Language Idiom from Paraguay
- Peru
- Native Language: Spanish
tirarse la pera.
Literal translation: Throwing away the pear.
Actual meaning: It means missing work, school or university on purpose.
Language Idiom from Peru
- Philippines 🇵🇭
- Native Language: Filipino
dumudugo ang ilong ko
Literal translation: I’m nosebleeding
Actual meaning: Something is too hard or complicated. Usually used when someone is speaking full-on English or “deep” Filipino; and you want to say that it’s too hard or complicated to understand.
Language Idiom from the Phippines
- Poland 🇵🇱
- Native Language: Polish
wiercić komuś dziurę w brzuchu
Literal translation: Drill a hole in a someone’s belly
Actual meaning: importune (harass) somebody of something
Language Idiom from Poland
- Portugal 🇵🇹
- Native Language: Portuguese
depressa e bem não há quem
Literal translation: Quick and well, there is no one
Actual meaning: It means that no one can do something perfect in a little time. All good things need some time to be done accordingly.
Language Idiom from Portugal
- Russia 🇷🇺
- Native Language: Russian
Later.
- South Africa 🇿🇦
- Native Language: Afrikaans
Later.
- South Korea 🇰🇷
- Native Language: Korean
Later.
- Spain 🇪🇸
- Native Language: Spanish
más sabe el diablo por viejo, que por diablo.
Literal translation: The devil knows more because he’s old than because he’s the devil.
Actual meaning: It means that experience is what gives you more knowledge and wisdom. The older you are, the more you know.
Language Idiom from Spain
- Tanzania 🇹🇿
- Native Language: Swahili
siku ya kufa kwa nyani miti yote uteleza
Literal translation: The day a monkey is destined to die, all trees become slippery.
Actual meaning: The day you fail in to something, everything you try won’t work out fine.
Language Idiom from Tanzania
- Thailand 🇹🇭
- Native Language: Thai
chang tai tung tau aow bai bua pid
Literal translation: Using a lotus leaf to cover a dead elephant
Actual meaning: When someone tries to hide his guilt or mistake but he can’t
Language Idiom from Thailand
- Turkey 🇹🇷
- Native Language: Turkish
atı alan üsküdar’ı geçti
Literal translation: Someone who hold a horse already have passed Üsküdar
Actual meaning: He whoever acts quickly will arrive (to his destination) whether he is aware of it or not.
Language Idiom from Turkey
- United States 🇺🇸
- Native Language: English
it’s raining cats and dogs
Actual meaning: it’s raining very heavily
Language Idiom from the USA
- Vietnam
- Native Language: Vietnamese
ếch ngồi đáy giếng
Literal translation: The frog at the bottom of the well
Actual meaning: When someone thinks that they are very important, like the frog in the well believes that the sky is as small as the lid of a cooking pot. Egotistic, stuck-up is the same meaning.
Language Idiom from Vietnam
So there you have it!
Did you learn something today? If you haven’t join us yet, feel free to register to ConnectPals for free and be part of our growing Language Exchange community.
Anyhow, what Language Exchange Challenge do you want us to do next? Feel free to leave a reply in the comment section below!
UPDATE: Comments are disabled at this moment but do contact @connectpals if you have something to say. =)
Contributed by Dan
Thank u 🎉😊 idioms make our speech more natural