Here are ten foreign language idioms you’ll love. Try sprinkling these into your next conversations and see what happens.

The English language is full of idioms, but another fun aspect is its weird and sometimes wacky grammar rules! The EasyBib grammar guides feature definitions and proper usage of parts of speech, like plural nouns, subordinating conjunctions, and determiners. It’s a perfect place for new and veteran writers alike!

“Makalaglag matsing.” – Tagalog

Literal English translation:

Can cause a monkey to fall.

Meaning:

This phrase is used to describe the feeling you get when you see an extremely attractive person. Presumably this person is so good looking that a monkey would get distracted and accidentally fall.

Example:

“Did you see that handsome guy? He’d cause a monkey to fall.”

“姜还是老的辣 (Jiāng hái shì lǎo de là).” – Chinese

Literal English translation:

Old ginger is spicier than new ginger.

Meaning:

Experience counts.

Example:

“Ted, let me show you how it’s done. Old ginger is spicier than new ginger.”

“Você está enchendo meu saco.” – Portuguese

Literal English translation:

You are filling my bag.

Meaning:

You are getting on my nerves.

Example:

“John, if you don’t stop this annoying behavior now, you’re going to fill my bag.”

“Piješ mi krev.” – Czech

Literal English translation:

You’re drinking my blood.

Meaning:

This is another way to tell someone that he or she is getting on your nerves. May or may not be appropriate to use if face-to-face with a vampire.

Example:

“You’re drinking my blood, Callie. We need to meet this deadline.”

“Hang aan ń tak.” – Afrikaans

Literal English translation:

Hang onto a branch.

Meaning:

Hold on for a second.

Example:

“Wait, I’m almost done. Hang onto a branch.”

“Ayos ang buto-buto.” – Tagalog

Literal English translation:

Bones in the right order.

Meaning:

Use this phrase when you want to communicate that everything is in order.

Example:

“Do we have everything? Are the bones in the right order?”

“In bocca al lupo.” – Italian

Literal English translation:

In the mouth of the wolf.

Meaning:

This is a common way of wishing someone good luck. A typical response to this phrase is “crepi,” which means, “You die” (“you” refers to the wolf).

Example:

“It’s going to a wonderful performance, Beth. In the mouth of the wolf!”

“Bez práce nejsou koláče.” – Czech

Literal English translation:

Without work, there aren’t pastries.

Meaning:

The best English equivalent to this phrase is, “No pain, no gain.”

Example:

“If you want to make more money, you have to put in the effort. WIthout work, there aren’t pastries.”

“明日のことを言うと天井のネズミが笑う (Ashita no koto o iu to tenjō no nezumi ga warau).” – Japanese

Literal English translation:

If you speak of tomorrow, the rats in the ceiling will laugh.

Meaning:

The future is unpredictable.

Example:

“Don’t worry about making a five-year plan. If you speak of tomorrow, the rats in the ceiling will laugh.”

“Когда рак на горе свистнет (Kogda rak na gore svistnet).” – Russian

Literal English translation:

When a lobster whistles on the top of a mountain.

Meaning:

This phrase is similar to “When pigs fly.” If you want to communicate that something is never going to happen, this is the idiom for you.

Example:

“Oh please, when a lobster whistles on the top of a mountain.”

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Whether you’re new to the world of tutoring or a pro looking for ways to improve, here are five tips for English tutors:

Tip 1: Get clear on what your student needs

If possible, find out what your student’s main challenges are prior to your first meeting. That way, you can prepare ahead of time and are ready to tutor from the very start. Is he overwhelmed by the amount of required reading? Is she having a hard time organizing her thoughts when she needs to write a paper?

The key part of this tip is to get this information from your student directly. By listening to he or she talk about what they’re struggling with, you’ll develop a clearer idea of areas and skills to target. If you can’t find time to chat beforehand, carve out five minutes at the beginning of your lesson to identify challenges. By having your student articulate what’s hard directly to you, you can ensure you’re both on the same page.

Tip 2: Come up with a game plan…together!

This isn’t a one-sided partnership. You might be the recognized authority on the topic, but you need your student to be motivated and invested in your plan if you want to succeed together.

Once you know what’s challenging for your student, offer a few ideas of how can help him or her. From there, see if any of those ideas resonate with your student and try those out first. Use this time to also map out what you’ll cover during your lessons. That way, you’re both clear on what you can accomplish during your time together.

Tip 3: If Your student needs help with reading comprehension…

…find a way to help him or her become an active reader. Often times, students struggle with reading because they’ll passively read a sentence, not understand it, read it again, and then get frustrated. By having your student markup the text while reading, he or she will become more engaged with the text.

Most students are familiar with annotating in some shape or form. Sometimes it’s just matter of finding a note-taking or annotation strategy that works for them. Start by having your student underline main ideas and circle proper nouns, dates, and locations. From there, you can help your student develop an unique strategy.

Tip 4: If your student needs help with writing…

…find a way to help him or her get organized. The writing process can be overwhelming, and at times, that feeling of being overwhelmed cripples students from even getting started. By helping your student come up with an overall game plan, you can then help him or her with any specific steps that require extra attention.

For example, let’s say your student is more science or math-oriented. He or she might respond well to you providing writing strategies in a step-by-step manner. By breaking down the writing process into bite-size pieces like a researcher might when conducting an experiment, you can show how your student’s strengths can be applicable to a subject that might not seem like it would warrant such an approach.

Also helpful for students who write: an EasyBib Plus subscription. It comes with unlimited plagiarism and grammar checks, and premium citing features so you can confidently create an MLA format works cited, APA citation, or Chicago style citation.  

Tip 5: Take notes at the end of your lesson

It’s easy to get lazy and not jot down what you covered during a lesson, especially if you have a lot of students. To see your student’s progress, however, it’s essential to keep a log of what you’ve worked on together.

There are two ways you can do this:

1. Use your own internal spreadsheet to keep track of your lesson notes.
2. Email the student after each lesson with a recap of what you’ve covered and what to prep for next time. This method is also an awesome way to keep each other accountable. By having a record of your lesson in both of your inboxes, you can both refer to it when you need to remember what you did during your last meeting.

Thirsting for more knowledge? Visit the free EasyBib grammar guides for info on what is a verb, adjective types, adverb examples, and much more!

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