15 Untranslatable English idioms That Will Help You Sound Fluent

If you are trying to learn English, aside from learning common words and phrases, it’s also important to learn untranslatable English idioms.

English idioms are phrases that often don’t translate well. While the initial “translation” might make sense, the context in which the phrase is used might leave a new language learner confused. This is because the real meaning of an idiomatic phrase is often quite different from what the phrase literally says.

Of course, the major reason why you should learn “untranslatable” English idioms is that you want to improve your ability to understand and communicate with native English speakers. 

In areas where English is commonly spoken, idioms are used daily and automatically in everyday conversation to convey a host of ideas and feelings. Native English speakers or those who are fluent are not going to pause to think that what they said was funny or untranslatable because for them, what they said made perfect sense.

Another reason why you should learn the meanings and usage rules of untranslatable English idioms is that you want to sound “local”. Using a few idioms every now and then is a great way to add some color to your speech and will keep you from sounding overly formal or robotic.

1. Actions speak louder than words

Meaning: What someone does is more important than what they say

This is a wise if untranslatable English idiom that talks about the value of following through on your promises.

An English speaker will use this idiom if they want to remind you about something you said you would do but haven’t done yet. They are basically saying that you should do what you promised or pledged to do.

It can also be used to caution you about trusting or relying on someone. If, for example, a work colleague has a habit of enthusiastically volunteering for tasks but never finishing them, someone might remind you or caution you by saying “Actions speak louder than words”, implying that they’ve been unreliable before.

2. A bitter pill to swallow

Meaning: An unpleasant reality

If a situation has not worked out in an English-speakers favor, they might use this idiom to describe how they feel.

A “bitter pill” is an unpleasant reality. Meanwhile, the addition of “to swallow” means that the speaker is saying that that “reality” or “pill” needs to be accepted.

You can use this to express unhappiness with a situation but a willingness to adapt or live with it. 

3. All ears

Meaning: Listening 

One of the reasons why an untranslatable English idiom can be so confusing is the fact that the literal meaning can sound so odd or off.

When a new English learner hears an idiom like “all ears”, they may be taken aback because it sounds so grotesque. Especially since the phrase used might actually be “I’m all ears”. The mental picture of someone having more than one pair of ears is disconcerting.

However, what a native English speaker actually means when they say this is that they are listening intently. It may also express an eagerness to hear what you have to say.

4. Barking up the wrong tree

Meaning: Looking at the wrong place

You might hear this from an English speaker if they believe that your line of inquiry is wrong. So, you are “barking up the wrong tree” if you are accusing someone of something they didn’t do. You are also “barking up the wrong tree” if you assume that someone can help you with something they are not capable of.

5. Add insult to injury

Meaning: Made a bad situation worse

An English speaker will use this idiom if they want to say that something that someone did or something that just happened made things worse.

You can use it to describe petty annoyances, like getting a flat tire just before it started to rain. The “flat tire” was the injury, the initial bad thing. The “rain” was the insult, another bad thing that made the situation more upsetting.

6. Learn the ropes

Meaning: Learn how a task or job is accomplished

When you start a new job, your boss might assign someone to help you “learn the ropes”. This means that they will show you how things are done to help you fit in quicker.

7. Spill the beans

Meaning: Reveal a secret

Another reason why untranslatable English idioms can be so confusing is that the literal translation has absolutely nothing to do with what the speaker is actually trying to say.

That’s one reason an idiom like “spill the beans” would give a new English language learner some pause. There are often no beans around so, how can beans be spilled?

As we noted, the real meaning of this idiom which seems to be about food refers to the telling or revelation of secrets or news. So, if someone is asking you to spill the beans, they are saying they know that you know something and they want to hear it. 

8. Go down the drain

Meaning: To be wasted

When something “goes down the drain” it has been wasted. What was wasted is usually the time or effort that you put into a project. It can also mean that you wasted money. For example, if you bought a watch that broke right away, that was “money down the drain.”

9. Pushing up daisies

Meaning: Dead

While you might hear an English speaker casually toss this idiom about, be careful about when you use it. It is a very casual and slangy way of saying that someone is dead or has died,

10. Once in a blue moon

Meaning: A rare occurrence

One reason why you will want to learn and use English idioms is that, well, they sound so beautiful. This is an example of a beautiful and almost poetic English idiom that you will surely want to use.

The phrase “once in a blue moon” is used to describe a phenomenon or situation that rarely happens. It’s actually based on an actual astronomical occurrence that only occurs around every two or three years.   

11. Off the hook

Meaning: No longer obligated

When someone tells you this, they are saying that you are no longer required to fulfill an obligation. So, if your boss says you are “off the hook” and don’t have to work that Saturday, you are no longer obligated to be at the office.

12. Kill two birds with one stone

Meaning: Accomplish two things at the same time

This is another untranslatable English idiom that might sound bad to a new language learner, but actually means something harmless or even nice.

You are not actually killing anything, much less a bird when you say this idiom. What you are actually saying is that you managed to efficiently solve not just one but two problems with a single simple action.

13. Cut corners

Meaning: Do things cheaper

This idiom actually has negative connotations because the implication is that a project was done cheaply, not because of careful budgeting, but because it used substandard materials or didn’t take certain steps to save money.

14. Hit the road

Meaning: Start a journey

This is another English idiom that sounds more violent than it actually is. You are not actually striking a blow here, rather you are just saying that it is time to leave or start a journey.

The idea here probably comes from the fact that when you start walking, your feet “hit” or strike the ground, so you are “hitting the road”.

15. Climb the career ladder

Meaning: Advance your career

You might hear this English idiom in the workplace. When your boss encourages you to attend a seminar because you can “climb the career ladder” they are saying it is a step you can take to advance your career or your position in the company.

Conclusion

Learning common English idioms is a good way to develop fluency. It can also help you learn some rules of English grammar as they provide you with good examples of how English speakers construct phrases and sentences. 

To help you memorize and understand these untranslatable English idioms, we’ve provided you with a PDF file that you can download here. We suggest, however, that if you really want to learn how to use these idioms in daily conversation you take this list and go through it with an online native English-speaking tutor.

Try using these idioms during conversation practice with your tutor. They can provide you with tips on how to pronounce and use these phrases correctly. They can also provide you with other lists of fun and interesting idioms to know.