Idioms are fixed expressions whose meaning is not fully predictable from the individual words. They often sound “literal” but actually communicate a figurative idea, feeling, or social signal. Because idioms are conventional, you learn them as whole phrases and choose them based on situation and tone.

Many common idioms function as quick reactions in conversation, showing agreement, surprise, doubt, or resignation. The key is matching the idiom to your attitude: some sound calm and practical, others sound dramatic or humorous. Use these when you want to respond naturally without a long explanation.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
No way	😮 不可能	Strong surprise or disbelief	😮 强烈的惊讶或怀疑	No way, you met her in person?	🗣️ 不可能，你居然和她见过面？
You bet	🤝 当然	Confident yes	🤝 自信的肯定	Are you coming tomorrow? You bet.	🗣️ 你明天来吗？当然。
It depends	🤷 视情况而定	Not a yes or no	🤷 非是非题的回答	Can you finish today? It depends.	🗣️ 你今天能完成吗？视情况而定。
Fair enough	🧘 可以接受	Accepting a point or decision	🧘 接受一个观点或决定	I need more time. Fair enough.	🗣️ 我需要更多时间。可以接受。
Tell me about it	😅 说起来也是	Strong agreement about a shared problem	😅 对共同问题的强烈认同	This week is exhausting. Tell me about it.	🗣️ 这周真累。说起来也是。

These idioms help you describe beginnings, delays, and endings in a natural, conversational way. They are especially common in work and daily planning. Use them to talk about timing without sounding overly formal.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
At the last minute	⏳ 最后一分钟	Very late, close to a deadline	⏳ 非常晚，接近最后期限	He canceled at the last minute.	🗣️ 他在最后一分钟取消了。
On hold	🧊 暂时搁置	Temporarily paused	🧊 暂时暂停	Let’s put the project on hold.	🗣️ 让我们把项目搁置。
Get the ball rolling	🚀 让计划开个头	Start something, begin progress	🚀 开始某事，取得进展	Let’s get the ball rolling on the plan.	🗣️ 让计划开始动手。
Call it a day	🛑 收工吧	Stop working for now	🛑 现在停止工作	We’re tired. Let’s call it a day.	🗣️ 我们累了。现在收工吧。
In no time	⚡ 立刻就	Very quickly	⚡ 非常快	You’ll learn it in no time.	🗣️ 你很快就会学会它。

Decision idioms express commitment, risk, and responsibility. Some idioms sound bold and confident, while others emphasize difficulty or hesitation. Choose an idiom that matches how certain you feel and how serious the decision is.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Make up your mind	🎯 下定主意	Decide, stop hesitating	🎯 决定，停止犹豫	Make up your mind and pick one.	🗣️ 下定主意并选一个。
Take a chance	🎲 冒一次险	Try despite risk	🎲 尝试，尽管有风险	I took a chance and applied.	🗣️ 我冒险申请了。
Flip a coin	🪙 扔硬币	Use chance to decide	🪙 用机会来决定	We can’t choose. Let’s flip a coin.	🗣️ 我们选不了。让我们扔硬币。
Make a call	🧾 做出决定	Decide in a practical way	🧾 以实际方式做出决定	We need to make a call today.	🗣️ 我们今天需要做出决定。
Bite the bullet	🧱 咬紧牙关	Accept something difficult and do it	🧱 接受困难的事情并去做	I’ll bite the bullet and pay the fee.	🗣️ 我会咬紧牙关支付费用。

These idioms describe outcomes and performance in a vivid, informal style. Some focus on unexpected success, others on mistakes or total failure. Using them well helps you sound natural when telling stories about work, school, sports, or projects.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Pull it off	🏆 成功拿下	Succeed, often unexpectedly	🏆 成功，往往出乎意料	We pulled it off at the end.	🗣️ 我们最终把它搞定/完成了。
Hit the mark	🎯 命中要点	Be exactly right	🎯 完全正确	Your advice really hit the mark.	🗣️ 你的建议真的很中肯，直中要害。
Miss the point	🚫 没抓住重点	Fail to understand the main idea	🚫 未理解要点/主旨	You’re missing the point.	🗣️ 你没抓住重点。
Backfire	💥 事与愿违	Have the opposite effect	💥 产生相反的效果	The joke backfired.	🗣️ 这个笑话适得其反。
Drop the ball	💣 搞砸了	Make a mistake, fail to do your part	💣 犯错，未完成自己的部分	I dropped the ball on the email.	🗣️ 我在那封邮件上搞砸了。

Money idioms often compare cost to worth, or describe saving and spending habits. Many are casual and common in daily conversation. Use them to express value judgments without giving exact numbers.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Cost an arm and a leg	💸 贵得离谱	Be very expensive	💸 非常昂贵	That jacket costs an arm and a leg.	🗣️ 那件夹克贵得离谱。
Worth it	💰 物有所值	Good value for the effort or cost	💰 为投入或成本物有所值	The trip was expensive but worth it.	🗣️ 这次旅行虽然贵，但物有所值。
Rip off	🧾 被宰	Overcharge or cheat on price	🧾 偷涨价格或欺骗价格	They tried to rip me off.	🗣️ 他们想宰我一笔。
Save up	🐖 存钱	Gradually collect money for a goal	🐖 为实现目标逐步存钱	I’m saving up for a car.	🗣️ 我在为买车攒钱。
Tighten your belt	🪙 勒紧腰带	Spend less because money is limited	🪙 资金有限时花费更紧	We’re tightening our belts this month.	🗣️ 这个月我们将勒紧腰带。

These idioms describe trust, similarity, conflict, and social dynamics. They are common in stories about friends, coworkers, and family. Be careful with tone: some can sound blunt depending on the situation.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Get along	🤝 相处融洽	Have a good relationship	🤝 拥有良好关系	We get along really well.	🗣️ 我们相处得真的很好。
Give someone the cold shoulder	🧊 故意冷落某人	Ignore someone on purpose	🧊 故意忽视某人	She gave me the cold shoulder all day.	🗣️ 她整天对我冷淡相待。
Hit it off	🧲 一拍即合	Like each other quickly	🧲 彼此很快就喜欢上对方	We met and hit it off immediately.	🗣️ 我们见面后立刻一拍即合。
Birds of a feather	🐦 物以类聚	Similar people often become friends	🐦 相似的人往往会成为朋友	They both love hiking. Birds of a feather.	🗣️ 他们都喜欢远足。物以类聚。
On the same page	🧱 看法一致	Share the same understanding	🧱 共享相同的理解	Let’s make sure we’re on the same page.	🗣️ 让我们确保看法一致。

Communication idioms help you speak about honesty, clarity, and indirect hints. Some are useful for polite conversation, while others are used when you want to be direct. Knowing these helps you understand what people mean beyond the literal words.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Beat around the bush	🗣️ 拐弯抹角	Avoid saying something directly	🗣️ 避免直接说出某事	Don’t beat around the bush. What happened?	🗣️ 不要拐弯抹角。发生了什么？
Get to the point	🔎 直接点明要点	Speak directly and briefly	🔎 用直截了当且简短的方式说话	Can you get to the point?	🗣️ 你能说到点子上吗？
Read between the lines	💡 读出言外之意	Understand the hidden meaning	💡 理解隐藏的含义	Read between the lines of that email.	🗣️ 阅读那封邮件的言外之意。
Take it with a grain of salt	🧂 要持保留态度	Don’t fully believe it	🧂 不要完全相信它	Take his promises with a grain of salt.	🗣️ 对他的承诺要持保留态度。
Long story short	🧵 长话短说	Give a short summary	🧵 给出简短的总结	Long story short, we missed the train.	🗣️ 长话短说，我们错过了火车。

These idioms describe how hard something is and how much effort it requires. Some emphasize that a task is easy, others that it is challenging or unpleasant. They are frequent in casual speech about work, study, travel, and life problems.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Piece of cake	🍰 轻而易举	Very easy	🍰 非常容易	The test was a piece of cake.	🗣️ 这次考试简直就是小菜一碟。
Up to you	🧗 由你决定	Your choice, your responsibility	🧗 你的选择，你的责任	Where we eat is up to you.	🗣️ 我们吃在哪里就看你。
A tough nut to crack	🪨 棘手难题/难啃的硬骨头	A difficult problem or person	🪨 一个困难的问题或人	This bug is a tough nut to crack.	🗣️ 这个漏洞很难解决。
Break the ice	🧊 破冰	Make a situation less awkward	🧊 让场景不再尴尬	A joke helped break the ice.	🗣️ 一个笑话有助于打破尴尬。
Get in the way	🚧 妨碍进展	Block progress	🚧 阻碍进度	My schedule got in the way.	🗣️ 我的日程安排挡住了进度。

Use idioms when they fit the situation, the relationship, and the level of formality. Many idioms sound natural in friendly conversation but can feel too casual in formal writing. Prefer idioms you understand clearly, and avoid mixing two different idioms into one expression.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Match formality to context	📌 将正式度与情境匹配	Casual: Let’s call it a day. Formal: Let’s stop for now.	🗣️ 口语：Let’s call it a day. 正式：Let’s stop for now.
Use an idiom only if you know the meaning and tone	🎯 仅在你清楚含义和语气时使用习语	He gave me the cold shoulder means he ignored me.	🗣️ 他对我“冷落”是什么意思？是忽视我。
Treat common idioms as fixed phrases	🧠 将常见习语视为固定短语	Correct: cost an arm and a leg. Not: cost an arm and a foot.	🗣️ 正确：cost an arm and a leg。不正确：cost an arm and a foot。
Do not combine different idioms	🔀 不要混用不同的习语	Correct: bite the bullet or rip off the bandage, not a mix.	🗣️ 正确：bite the bullet 或 rip off the bandaid，而不是混用。
Pay attention to who uses it and when	👂 注意使用者和场景	In a meeting: We’re on the same page. With friends: No way.	🗣️ 会议中：我们在同一页。和朋友：没门儿。