Many cultures have didactic sayings and idiomatic expressions. Spanish has its share and many native speakers use them in their various modes of communications. In order for us to know exactly to what we are referencing, an English definition of idioms and proverbs are provided to help you understand our goal of learning Spanish equivalents.

Idioms : An idiom (Latin: idioma , “special property”, f. Greek: ἰδίωμα – idiōma , “special feature, special phrasing”, f. Greek: ἴδιος – idios , “one’s own”) is an expression consisting of a combination of words that has a figurative meaning. The figurative meaning is comprehended in regard to a common use of the expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made. Idioms are numerous and they occur frequently in all languages. There are estimated to be at least 25,000 idiomatic expressions in the English language.

Examples of idioms in English:

a. She is pulling my leg. – to pull someone’s leg means to tease them by telling them something fictitious.

b. He took me to the cleaners. – to take someone to the cleaners means to cause them to lose a lot of money.

c. I can’t keep my head above water. – to keep one’s head above water means to manage a situation.

 

 

 

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