English Idioms and Expressions with Hindi Meaning
Idioms ऐसे common expressions होते हैं जिनका meaning केवल उनके अलग-अलग words के literal meaning से पूरी तरह समझ नहीं आता। इस lesson में 50 useful English idioms के Hindi meanings, simple example sentences और usage guidance दी गई है।
इन expressions को conversation और writing में तभी इस्तेमाल करें जब उनका context सही हो। Idiom का meaning समझना और उसे सही situation में use करना, दोनों जरूरी हैं।
What Are Idioms? (Idioms क्या होते हैं?)
An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of its words. हिंदी में idioms को मुहावरेदार expressions कहा जा सकता है। उदाहरण के लिए, a piece of cake का मतलब सचमुच केक का टुकड़ा नहीं, बल्कि कोई काम बहुत आसान होना है।
Idioms अक्सर informal conversations, stories, films और everyday English में मिलते हैं। Formal writing में idioms का उपयोग सोच-समझकर करें, और unfamiliar idiom का exact meaning sentence context से confirm करें।
50 Common English Idioms with Hindi Meaning and Examples
| No. | Idiom | Hindi meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A piece of cake | बहुत आसान काम | This exercise is a piece of cake for her. |
| 2 | Once in a blue moon | बहुत कम / कभी-कभार | We eat out once in a blue moon. |
| 3 | Break the ice | बातचीत की झिझक दूर करना | The teacher told a joke to break the ice. |
| 4 | Hit the nail on the head | बिल्कुल सही बात कहना | You hit the nail on the head with that answer. |
| 5 | Under the weather | अस्वस्थ महसूस करना | I am feeling under the weather today. |
| 6 | Spill the beans | राज़ खोल देना | Who spilled the beans about the surprise? |
| 7 | Cost an arm and a leg | बहुत महँगा होना | That phone costs an arm and a leg. |
| 8 | Burn the midnight oil | देर रात तक काम या पढ़ाई करना | She burned the midnight oil before the exam. |
| 9 | Better late than never | देर से करना, बिल्कुल न करने से बेहतर | You finally submitted the work—better late than never. |
| 10 | The ball is in your court | अब अगला कदम आपकी जिम्मेदारी है | I have sent the details; the ball is in your court now. |
| 11 | Let the cat out of the bag | अनजाने में राज़ बता देना | He let the cat out of the bag about the gift. |
| 12 | Beat around the bush | सीधी बात न करके घुमाना | Please stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth. |
| 13 | Call it a day | आज के लिए काम बंद करना | We have finished the main task; let's call it a day. |
| 14 | Get cold feet | आखिरी समय पर घबरा जाना | He got cold feet before the speech. |
| 15 | A blessing in disguise | ऐसी घटना जो पहले बुरी लगे, लेकिन बाद में लाभदायक निकले | Missing that bus was a blessing in disguise; I met an old friend. |
| 16 | On cloud nine | बहुत खुश होना | She was on cloud nine after winning the prize. |
| 17 | Through thick and thin | हर अच्छे-बुरे समय में साथ देना | Real friends stay together through thick and thin. |
| 18 | Pull someone's leg | मज़ाक करना / छेड़ना | Relax, I am just pulling your leg. |
| 19 | In hot water | मुसीबत में होना | He was in hot water for missing the deadline. |
| 20 | Kill two birds with one stone | एक काम से दो फायदे करना | I walked to work and bought groceries, killing two birds with one stone. |
| 21 | When pigs fly | कभी नहीं / असंभव-सी बात | He will clean his room without being asked when pigs fly! |
| 22 | Add fuel to the fire | स्थिति को और बिगाड़ना | Arguing now will only add fuel to the fire. |
| 23 | Back to square one | फिर से शुरुआत पर आ जाना | The plan failed, so we are back to square one. |
| 24 | Bite the bullet | कठिन परिस्थिति का साहस से सामना करना | I dislike phone calls, but I had to bite the bullet and call the office. |
| 25 | Barking up the wrong tree | गलत व्यक्ति या दिशा पर शक करना | If you think I took your book, you are barking up the wrong tree. |
| 26 | Cut corners | समय या पैसे बचाने के लिए जरूरी काम में कमी करना | Never cut corners when checking safety equipment. |
| 27 | Get out of hand | नियंत्रण से बाहर होना | The argument got out of hand. |
| 28 | Miss the boat | मौका चूक जाना | Apply today, or you may miss the boat. |
| 29 | Speak of the devil | जिसकी बात हो रही थी, उसका उसी समय आ जाना | Speak of the devil—here comes Riya! |
| 30 | On the same page | एक ही बात समझना / सहमत होना | Let's discuss the plan so we are all on the same page. |
| 31 | Keep an eye on | नज़र रखना | Please keep an eye on my bag. |
| 32 | A storm in a teacup | छोटी बात को बहुत बड़ा मुद्दा बनाना | The disagreement was a storm in a teacup. |
| 33 | Sit on the fence | निर्णय न लेना / दोनों पक्षों में उलझे रहना | You cannot sit on the fence forever; choose a side. |
| 34 | Take it with a grain of salt | किसी बात पर पूरी तरह भरोसा न करना | Take online rumours with a grain of salt. |
| 35 | Go the extra mile | ज़रूरत से बढ़कर प्रयास करना | Our teacher goes the extra mile to help students. |
| 36 | Make ends meet | आमदनी में खर्च चलाना | It is difficult to make ends meet on a small income. |
| 37 | On thin ice | जोखिम भरी स्थिति में होना | You are on thin ice after ignoring two warnings. |
| 38 | In the same boat | एक जैसी कठिनाई में होना | We are all in the same boat before the final exam. |
| 39 | Hit the books | गंभीरता से पढ़ाई शुरू करना | I need to hit the books this weekend. |
| 40 | No pain, no gain | मेहनत के बिना सफलता नहीं मिलती | Learning a skill takes effort—no pain, no gain. |
| 41 | Actions speak louder than words | काम, बातों से अधिक प्रभावशाली होते हैं | Show that you care; actions speak louder than words. |
| 42 | Practice makes perfect | अभ्यास से कौशल बेहतर होता है | Read aloud every day; practice makes perfect. |
| 43 | Don't judge a book by its cover | बाहरी रूप देखकर फैसला न करना | Get to know people; don't judge a book by its cover. |
| 44 | Every cloud has a silver lining | मुश्किल समय में भी कुछ अच्छा हो सकता है | Stay hopeful; every cloud has a silver lining. |
| 45 | Rome wasn't built in a day | बड़े काम में समय लगता है | Be patient with your progress; Rome wasn't built in a day. |
| 46 | Throw in the towel | हार मान लेना | The problem is hard, but don't throw in the towel. |
| 47 | At the eleventh hour | बिल्कुल आखिरी समय पर | They changed the schedule at the eleventh hour. |
| 48 | Let sleeping dogs lie | पुरानी समस्या को फिर न छेड़ना | The issue is settled, so let sleeping dogs lie. |
| 49 | Out of the blue | अचानक / बिना अपेक्षा के | She called me out of the blue. |
| 50 | Hold your horses | ज़रा रुकिए / जल्दबाज़ी न करें | Hold your horses; we haven't checked the facts yet. |
How to Learn Idioms Effectively
- रोज़ 5 idioms चुनें और उनके Hindi meanings के साथ examples पढ़ें।
- हर idiom से अपना एक नया sentence बनाएं। इससे meaning context में याद रहेगा।
- ऐसे idioms का literal translation न करें जिनका अलग idiomatic meaning हो, जैसे a piece of cake।
- Formal essay या examination answer में idiom तभी लिखें जब वह context के लिए उपयुक्त हो।
Practice Exercise
हर idiom को उसके सही meaning से match करें।
- A piece of cake
- Spill the beans
- Under the weather
- Miss the boat
- On cloud nine
- Call it a day
- Back to square one
- Hold your horses
Options: (a) बहुत खुश होना; (b) राज़ खोलना; (c) आसान काम; (d) आज के लिए काम बंद करना; (e) अस्वस्थ होना; (f) मौका चूक जाना; (g) दोबारा शुरुआत पर लौटना; (h) थोड़ा रुकना।
Answer key: 1–c, 2–b, 3–e, 4–f, 5–a, 6–d, 7–g, 8–h.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are idioms the same as proverbs?
No. Idioms are expressions with a figurative meaning, while proverbs generally express a lesson or common wisdom. “A piece of cake” is an idiom; “Actions speak louder than words” is commonly used as a proverb.
Should I use idioms in every English sentence?
No. Natural English uses idioms selectively. Simple direct language is often better for instructions, formal writing and beginner-level communication.
How many idioms should I learn in a day?
Start with three to five idioms daily and revise them in your own sentences. Regular use is more helpful than memorising a long list at once.
Related lessons: Daily Use English Words · English Synonyms · English Phrases and Expressions