LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Idioms: Languages
built 612 days ago
Idioms are expressions that don't mean what they appear to mean. For example, when you say 'it's raining cats and dogs', you don't mean that cats and dogs are falling out of sky, but rather that it's raining heavily. Idioms provide interesting insights into languages and thought processes of their speakers.
Source:
Idioms hence tend to confuse those not already familiar with them; students of a new language must learn its idiomatic expressions the way they learn its other vocabulary. In fact many natural language words have idiomatic origins, but have been sufficiently assimilated so that their figurative senses have been lost.
Source:
Idioms give you a wonderful insight into the imagery of a language. It is interesting to compare similar idioms in different languages. You can spot how the German language has a preference for certain objects, items of clothing, or even parts of the body when compared to English:
Source:
Idioms are therefore not considered a part of the language, but rather a part of the culture. As cultures are typically localized, idioms are more often not useful for outside of that local context. However some idioms can be more universally used than others, and they can be easily translated, metaphorical meaning can be more easily deduced.
Source:
Learn some English & German idioms - there are an awful lot of idioms to learn! Idioms are phrases which are a key part of the language of daily life in countries where English is spoken as a first or second language. With Idioms for Windows you have a reference work of idioms in English along with their German translation. Get Idioms for Windows and the program will give you the following:
Source:
As you can see from their colorful images and history, German idioms are fun to learn. To get to know their origin is fascinating. There is ... a practical side to them, however. Idioms are commonly used in the German language, both in speech and in writing. That's why it is important to learn them. Examples in everyday conversations are endless, but it is easy to find idioms in printed sources as well.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Languages