{"id":51496,"date":"2024-08-14T16:50:27","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T14:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/?p=51496"},"modified":"2024-08-14T16:50:27","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T14:50:27","slug":"10-summer-idioms-from-around-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/10-summer-idioms-from-around-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Summer Idioms From Around The World"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summer\u2019s finally here so it\u2019s time to relax and catch some rays<\/strong><\/span><\/em>. You can forget about studying and taking tests until September.<\/p>\n

Why not take the chance to learn some fun vocabulary and phrases in English? There are plenty of idioms from around the world you can drop into conversation.<\/p>\n

To get you started, here are some of the best phrases and idioms from different countries.<\/p>\n

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English: to soak up the sun<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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As you might guess, \u2018to soak up the sun\u2019 means to enjoy spending time outdoors in the hot and sunny weather. You might use this great English idiom<\/a> to talk about going sunbathing at the beach or picnicking at the local park.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re just popping outdoors for a moment, feel free to use it then. Lots of people want to soak up the sun for a second after they\u2019ve been cooped up<\/strong><\/span><\/em> at work all day. After all, there\u2019s no better spot for a quick coffee break than a balcony or garden.<\/p>\n

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Spanish: a heat of justice<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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When it\u2019s especially bright and hot, the sun can feel like a punishment. That\u2019s when you might use the Spanish idiom \u2018un calor de justicia\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Blazing hot weather or a \u2018a heat of justice\u2019 can make it hard to do anything. It\u2019s best to stay in the shade and relax if possible. If you have to go outdoors for any reason, be sure to wear a hat and keep hydrated<\/strong><\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n

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French: to melt away like snow in the sun<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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If you\u2019ve ever had a cool drink on a hot summer\u2019s day, you\u2019ll know how quickly ice can vanish. That\u2019s the inspiration for the French idiom \u2018fondre comme neige au soleil\u2019<\/em> which we can use to talk about things disappearing quickly.<\/p>\n

Ironically, don\u2019t you ever feel like summer itself melts away quickly like snow in the sun? It seems like one minute you\u2019re setting off on holiday<\/a> and the next you\u2019re back at work or school again. Make sure you make the most of this summer before it\u2019s over!<\/p>\n

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Japanese: summer furnace, winter fan<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Lots of people like to shop in the summer sales. The only problem is that a lot of the stock is left over from the cooler months. Who needs a sweater in July, right?<\/p>\n

The Japanese call these unseasonal items ‘karo t\u014dsen’<\/em>. You can also use the expression to talk about anything odd or out of place. So, the next time you see someone wearing casual clothes to a formal occasion, you can say they\u2019re a summer furnace or a winter fan.<\/p>\n

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German: summer hole<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Life tends to slow down between mid-July and the end of August. All the kids are off school, the shops close and everyone goes on holiday. News outlets find they have nothing to report on except sandcastle competitions.<\/p>\n

The Germans call this ‘summer loch’<\/em> which directly translates to \u2018summer hole\u2019. However, it\u2019s better to think of it as a gap or break from the normal routine.<\/p>\n

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Russian: grandmother\u2019s summer<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Sometimes in September or October, there\u2019s a period of hot weather before the cold sets in<\/strong><\/span><\/em>. In Russian and many other Slavic languages, this is a \u2018babje leto\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Why is it called a grandmother\u2019s summer? Perhaps it\u2019s because the heat comes late in the year much like you become a grandmother late in your life. We like to think it\u2019s because the weather is more bearable for our elderly grandparents than in full summer.<\/p>\n

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Portuguese: to cover the sun with a sieve<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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It\u2019s hard to ignore the sun in Portugal and Brazil. Both countries are famed for their hot, sunny weather. Perhaps that\u2019s why they came up with the idiom \u2018tapar o sol com a peneira\u2019<\/em> or \u2018hide the sun with a sieve\u2019 which means to make reality seem better.<\/p>\n

The idea is that you can\u2019t escape from the truth, much like you can\u2019t hide something as large and bright as the sun. Sometimes, you just have to accept that things could be better and find a way to fix them.<\/p>\n

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Arabic: summer cloud<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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If there\u2019s a thunderstorm in the summer, you can be sure the clouds will disappear quickly. The same is true of many bad things in life.<\/p>\n

Perhaps that\u2019s why Arabic speakers call temporary issues a \u2018sahabat alsayf\u2019<\/em>. It doesn\u2019t matter if you fall out with a friend or fail a test. These summer clouds will soon burn away and you\u2019ll find a solution to your problems.<\/p>\n

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Welsh: the sun is smiling<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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You can say ‘mae’r haul yn gwenu’ whenever there\u2019s some sunny weather, not just during summer. However, Wales is famous for its overcast<\/strong><\/span><\/em> skies and wet weather. You probably have to wait for June to see the sun smiling anyway.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let that put you off visiting Wales, though. The country doesn\u2019t need a smiling sun to be enjoyable as it\u2019s got some of the most beautiful countryside, beaches and mountains in the world.<\/p>\n

Want to learn more funny phrases from other languages? Watch some posts by The Language Nerds.<\/p>\n

 
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Final thoughts<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Nobody wants to spend their break deep in studies. Luckily, learning some fun phrases can help you continue your English without breaking a sweat<\/strong><\/span><\/em>. See if you can memorise all the idioms from around the world off our list before the end of summer.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for more of the best idioms from around the world, consider booking a class at Oxford House. Our teachers can help you find and learn the meaning of great phrases and expressions. Book a class today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Glossary for Language Learners<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

To catch some rays (id):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to spend time in the sun, usually to get a tan.<\/p>\n

Coop up (phr v):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> keep someone inside in a small space.<\/p>\n

Keep hydrated (phr):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> drink enough water to stay healthy.<\/p>\n

Set in (pv):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to begin and continue for a while.<\/p>\n

Overcast (adj):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> very cloudy.<\/p>\n

Break a sweat (phr):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> use a lot of effort to do something.<\/p>\n

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Key<\/strong><\/p>\n

id = idiom<\/p>\n

pv = phrasal verb<\/p>\n

phr = phrase<\/p>\n

adj = adjective<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summer\u2019s finally here so it\u2019s time to relax and catch some rays. You can forget about studying and taking tests until September. Why not take the chance to learn some fun vocabulary and phrases in English? There are plenty of idioms from around the world you can drop into conversation. To get you started, here […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":51498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[]},"categories":[268],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51496"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51496"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51729,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51496\/revisions\/51729"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51496"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=51496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}