Idioms & Phrases – Study Notes for the JLPT
1. Simple Explanation
An idiom is a group of words whose meaning is not deducible from the individual words.
“It’s raining cats and dogs.” → It’s pouring rain (not literally cats and dogs).
A phrase is a smaller unit of meaning (often an idiom, but can also be a fixed collocation).
Idioms & phrases are essential for the JLPT N2–N1 because they:
- Show natural fluency – native speakers use them daily.
- Appear in listening & reading passages – exam writers include them to test real‑world understanding.
- Boost vocabulary breadth – each idiom packs a lot of meaning in a few words.
2. Key Points
| # | Point | Why It Matters for JLPT |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Categories | Idioms often group into familiar themes: weather, military, business, food, nature, body parts, technology. Knowing a theme helps you guess meanings. |
| 2 | Fixed vs. Flexible | Some idioms are inflexible (e.g., “break the ice”). Others allow slight variations (“under the weather” → “under the weather today”). |
| 3 | Literal vs. Figurative | Remember the figurative meaning; literal translations are usually wrong. |
| 4 | Context clues | Use surrounding words to confirm the idiom’s meaning. |
| 5 | Common collocations | Idioms often pair with certain verbs or adjectives (e.g., “hit the books” → “hit the books hard”). |
| 6 | Practice patterns | Repetition, flashcards, and sentence creation help internalise idioms. |
| 7 | Relevance to JLPT | Look for idioms in N2 listening/reading; they’re often used in everyday conversations or news headlines. |
3. Worked Example
Idioms to Cover:
- “Break the ice” – start a conversation in a new situation.
- “Under the weather” – feeling sick or unwell.
- “Spill the beans” – reveal a secret.
3.1. “Break the ice”
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Literal meaning | To physically break ice. |
| Figurative meaning | To initiate conversation or ease tension. |
| Example sentence | “During the first day of the workshop, the instructor asked everyone to share a fun fact to break the ice.” |
| JLPT tip | In listening, you might hear “break the ice” followed by a description of a group activity. |
3.2. “Under the weather”
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Literal meaning | Literally below a weather line. |
| Figurative meaning | Feeling ill or not at full strength. |
| Example sentence | “I can’t come to the meeting today; I’m under the weather.” |
| JLPT tip | In a news article, “under the weather” often precedes a short story about a person’s health. |
3.3. “Spill the beans”
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Literal meaning | Pouring beans out. |
| Figurative meaning | To disclose a secret or reveal information. |
| Example sentence | “She accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party.” |
| JLPT tip | In reading passages, look for a clause like “didn’t want anyone to know” → likely “spill the beans”. |
4. Quick Revision Summary
- What are idioms? Fixed expressions with figurative meanings.
- Why learn them? Essential for JLPT N2/N1 listening & reading, boosts natural fluency.
- Common themes: Weather, nature, business, food, etc.
- How to remember:
- Chunk them into themes.
- Use flashcards with example sentences.
- Create your own sentences for each idiom.
- Test practice:
- Identify the idiom’s meaning in a short passage.
- Replace a literal phrase with an idiom in a sentence.
- Checklist before JLPT:
- 30+ idioms memorised.
- 5 sentences per idiom created.
- 10 listening passages skimming for idioms.
- 5 reading passages skimmed for idioms.
Pro Tip: When in doubt, guess based on context; many idioms have recognisable triggers (e.g., “break” + “ice” → conversation starter).
Good luck, and enjoy unlocking the colourful world of English idioms!