Những thành ngữ tiếng Anh có ý nghĩ gắn gọn nhưng phải đảm bảo chính xác khi sử dụng. Có những thành ngữ ít dùng, nhưng có những thành ngữ thường gặp trong giao tiếp hàng ngày của người bản ngữ. Dưới đây là một số idoms của người bản ngữ được sử dụng trong giao tiếp hàng ngày mà bạn nên biết nhé.

Một số thành ngữ được dùng trong tiếng Anh giao tiếp

Những thành ngữ thường xuyên được sử dụng trong tiếng Anh giao tiếp

- Put all your eggs in one basket.  Dồn hết tiền bạc tâm sức vào một thứ

- Find one’s feet.  Có thể làm gì một cách tự tin thoải mái

Ex:

Q.  How did you usually deal with challenges?

A.  To be honest, when setbacks get in my way, I felt a little scared because the first stage of solving a problem is a real deal. But I soon found my feet with the help of my friends who always consoled me that every cloud has a silver lining and that I had to be strong.

- Sit on the fence.  Ba phải

Ex:

Q.  Describe the time when you have to give your opinion on something important

A.  It was the time when my brother consulted me about his university selection because he didn’t know which one he should apply for. I told him that he should be firm and never sit on the fence.

- Bend over backwards.  Cố gắng hết sức để giúp ai đó

Ex:

Q.  Describe a time when you helped a friend

A.  My close friend broke up with his girl friend last month and he was really upset about that. As a  friend, I bent over backwards to comfort him.

- A hot potato.  Chủ đề nóng hổi

Ex:

Q.  Describe a hotly debated issue in your country

A.  Well, how to address environmental problems is a hot potato in Vietnam, especially with the recent dumping of toxic waste at sea which killed millions of fish and aquatic animals.

- Practice makes perfect.  Có công mài sắt có ngày nên kim

 Ex:

Q.  Is diligence one of the determinants of success?

A.  Yes, absolutely. Practice makes perfect!

- Back to the drawing board.  Bắt đầu lại từ đầu

Ex:

Q.  What do you think what people would feel when they fail to do something?

A.  People get disappointed when they fail  to achieve something and sometimes they wanna give up because when they put all their eggs in one basket, yet don’t get anything in return, the idea of getting back to the drawing board scares them.

- Over the moon.  Rất hạnh phúc  

Ex:

Q.  How did you feel when you passed the university entrance exam?

A.  I was over the moon on hearing the news that I just became a college student because I put all my heart and soul into the preparation for the entrance exam, which is the most important one in my student life.

Vận dụng thành thạo thành ngữ vào giao tiếp hàng ngày

- A piece of cake.  Quá dễ

Ex:

Q.  How do you remember all the functions of your keys?

A.  Actually, it’s a piece of cake! I attach a small sheet of paper to each of my keys to remind me of their functions.

- Every cloud has a silver lining.  Sau cơn mưa trời lại sáng

- Keep an eye on somebody/something.  Trông coi ai/cái gì

Ex:

Q.  Who normally is the person who takes care of your garden?

A.  Usually it’s my mother who keeps an eye on the garden because she knows how to trim the bushes and water the trees.

- (as) fit as a fiddle.  Khỏe mạnh

Ex:

Q.  How often did you play sports in the past?

A.  Well, I was a sporty person so I used to participate in a lot of physical activities which really helped me become as fit as a fiddle.

- Judge a book by its cover.  Trông mặt bắt hình dong

Ex:

Q.  What is your opinion about the fact that people usually judge each other based on their first impression?

A.  I think people shouldn’t do that because we can’t judge a book by its cover.

- Get up on the wrong side of the bed.  Trải qua điều tồi tệ nào đó

Ex:

Q.  Describe a frustrating time you had to go through

A.  It was a few months ago when I had to experience a heart-breaking incident.  I had to break up with my girl friend. I can still remember one or two weeks after that I always got up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning.

- Once in a blue moon.  Hiếm khi

Ex:

Q.  How often do you eat at restaurants?

A.  Well, I used to go to restaurants all the time when I was studying at university, but now just once in a blue moon because I’m quite occupied with my work.

- Under the weather.  Không được khỏe

- Rain cats and dogs.  Mưa như trút nước

Ex:

Q.  Describe something unpleasant that you experienced.

A.  Two weeks ago, I forgot my umbrella at my office. Unfortunately, it rained cats and dogs on my way home and I felt under the weather for the next 2 days.

- Actions speak louder than words.  Nói ít làm nhiều

Ex:

Q. Is having a plan important for someone to succeed?

A. Honestly, I think having a plan isn’t enough! We need to execute that plan immediately and never stop working hard. Actions speak louder than words!

- A drop in the ocean.  Quá ít

Ex:

Q.  Do you think that governments should provide more money to support the poor?

A.  Definitely! I think the current governmental financial support for the people who are living in poverty is just a drop in the ocean.

Các thành ngữ này không chỉ thường xuyên được sử dụng trong giao tiếp tiếng Anh hàng ngày của người bản ngữ mà còn được đánh giá cao trong các kỳ thi như Ielts đó. Tuy nhiên, trước khi sử dụng bất kỳ thành ngữ nào, bạn phải nắm được nghĩa và sử dụng chính xác, vận dụng linh hoạt thì giao tiếp tiếng Anh mới tự nhiên được nhé.