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Idioms are the phrases you cannot translate word for word, and they are everywhere in real speech. Pick a language and get the most common idioms, each with its literal translation, real meaning, and an example sentence. Every entry is a real expression natives use.
An idiom is a common phrase whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words. For example, to "spill the beans" in English means to reveal a secret. This free tool collects 714 real idioms across 49 languages, each with its literal translation, meaning, and an example sentence.
A list gets you the meaning, but idioms only stick when you see them in context. Lingo7 lets you read real books with sentence-aligned translation and native-narrated audio, so you catch idioms in the wild and tap any line you do not get. Save them and review later. Free to start.
Each idiom shows three things: the literal translation (what the words say), the meaning (what speakers actually intend), and an example sentence in context. The gap between literal and meaning is the whole point of an idiom, and it is usually where the culture and the humor live.
The guiding rule is the same in every language: do not translate word for word. Learn a handful of idioms at a time, notice them while you read and listen, and reuse them in your own sentences. Parallel text and audio let you meet idioms in natural context, which is exactly what reading in Lingo7 is built for.
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An idiom is a fixed phrase whose meaning is set by convention rather than assembled from its individual words. "Break the ice" has nothing to do with ice, it means to ease tension at the start of a social situation. Because the words do not add up to the meaning, idioms have to be learned as whole units.
Every language has hundreds. In English you "spill the beans" to reveal a secret and feel "under the weather" when ill; in Spanish "ser pan comido" (to be eaten bread) means something is very easy; in German "Schwein haben" (to have pig) means to be lucky. Pick a language above for a full, verified list.
Because you cannot translate them word for word. A literal reading gives nonsense, and the real meaning is often cultural, so idioms resist the usual dictionary lookup. They also come thick and fast in real speech and writing, which is why meeting them in context, again and again, is the only thing that makes them stick.
Learn a few at a time in context, not in long lists. Notice them while you read and listen, check the meaning, then reuse them in your own sentences. Reading real books with sentence-aligned translation and audio, the way Lingo7 works, exposes you to idioms in natural context and lets you tap any line you do not understand.