Idioms. How do you find them?

Posts0Likes0Joined3/9/2018LocationSkopje / MK
Native
Macedonian
Other Arabic - Gulf, English, French, Spanish, Serbian

Idioms are groups of words that explored separately have different meaning, than when put together, and form an idiom! An idiom conveys a figurative meaning, and exploring the words individually wouldn't give you the meaning the idiom does. All cultures and languages have phrases like these that convey certain advices, wise thoughts and attitudes, that can also tell you a lot about the cultural preferences and values. Usually native speakers use them frequently, so it's important to get familiar with at least the most commonly used idioms in the society you want to reside, in order to merge easily and understand the native people. Idioms can also be so debilitating to language learners because as I said, given the words separately have a different meaning, it's not so easy to remember the idioms by heart, and also many conversations can lead to confusions because if you take them literally, they can sound illogical and irrealistic.


http://www.smart-words.org/quotes-sayings/idioms-meaning.html


"I don't like when people judge the book by its cover."


 However, many times foreigners learning the language would believe anything, so they might also believe that what they assumed the construct of words was about, is correct. So it's advisable and also can be very amusing to many people, to check for these kind of intricacies of a culture when learning a new language. 


What do You think? Do you recognize any of the idioms mentioned on the page I shared? How do you like them? Is it hard for you to learn idioms? Or you like getting into and memorising expressions like that in a language ? 


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#1
Posts230Likes123Joined16/9/2018Location
Native
Spanish
Other English, Italian

For me some idioms and slang words took some time to get used to them. I guess you learn them by listening to them so often that you just get use to their meaning even if the might sound weird at first. As another topic in this forum was debating if culture was important when you learn a language, well I think this is the perfect example of how culture will play an important role in learning a language.

-Ari-

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#2
Posts0Likes0Joined5/9/2018LocationLisbon / PT
Native
Portuguese
Other English, Spanish

The easier way is to listen a bit of it and if you find interesent and useful, you can start learning

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#3
Posts0Likes0Joined3/9/2018LocationSkopje / MK
Native
Macedonian
Other Arabic - Gulf, English, French, Spanish, Serbian

Yeah but also of you want blend easier, with the people, it's very useful, don't you think so? I mean if you are about to reside in the country for a while ago


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#4
Posts0Likes0Joined5/9/2018Locationlahore / PK

Hello guys i need your opinion about a very interesting topic. Is idiomatic language good? Does it make good impression on others or not? I think it confuses others unless they understand the meaning otherwise they consider you a bragger :) What are your thoughts?

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#5
Posts0Likes0Joined3/9/2018LocationSkopje / MK
Native
Macedonian
Other Arabic - Gulf, English, French, Spanish, Serbian

I just posted a similar topic, on idioms! Did you see it?


Maybe you can post your expanded opinion there. 

I personally think they are amazing, but they do of course confuse a new language learner, it's an advanced level of the language, similar to metaphors, there's no other way but to learn them by heart, or make some unrelatable association to the words with the meaning of the whole. But I do love them and they are a sign of the richness of the language and the creative impulses of the people to me. The tone of the message though makes a difference and can leave an impression the person using them is bragging, trying to be annoying, or doesn't even want to have a discussion with you, so is pushing you away by using whatever language/register you wouldn't understand or giving away an image of having higher level of knowledge of the language, hence him/herself being more competent than you, so you find them bragging and eventually leave. Or you yourself/ anyone for that matter may feel inferior around someone using idioms, when as a second language learner, you can't be as proficient in them as a native speaker. But you can always ask. If you are genuinely interested in the language and learning, you will always be brave enough to show you don't know and would like to learn. You won't be even concerned with showing it or not, you will simply ask. People respect that. 

In the topic I created, there is a link to examples of it too, and a broader explanation of what they do and what they are. 

But personally, I think we as second language learners, I believe we have an advantage, meaning you can choose which idioms you like best, and when you use them, you won't even be concerned with whether you leave a good impression or not, you simply love using them, so it leaves an impression of owning your own preferences and having the level of the language YOU desire to have, and not what others tell you or think you should have or not. 

But I think idioms are awesome and a great indicator or how rich a language and its culture is. But I wouldn't learn all of them, and I don't find all relatable to my own experience, some are very authentic to the culture they were invented in, so if anything, harder to remember. 


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#6
Posts0Likes0Joined5/9/2018Locationlahore / PK

yes your are right, thank your for your response and i think idioms must be used moderately in our day to day communication as it depicts your exposure of a language as well.

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#7
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