1.
idiom; idiomatic expression; set phrase
A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be fully understood from the individual words alone. Used as a linguistic term when discussing language and grammar.
この慣用語の意味を教えてください。
Please tell me the meaning of this idiom.
日本語には体に関する慣用語が多い。
There are many body-related idioms in Japanese.
慣用語を正しく使えるようになると、日本語がより自然に聞こえる。
Once you can use idioms correctly, your Japanese will sound more natural.
A linguistic term for fixed expressions whose meaning goes beyond the literal words. Japanese is particularly rich in body-part idioms (体の慣用語), such as 目が高い (to have a good eye), 手を焼く (to have difficulty with), and 腹が立つ (to get angry).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 慣用語を覚える: to learn idioms
- 慣用語の意味: meaning of an idiom
- 体の慣用語: body-part idioms
- 慣用語辞典: idiom dictionary
RELATED TERMS:
- 慣用句: idiomatic phrase — often used interchangeably, but 慣用句 specifically refers to phrasal units, while 慣用語 can include single idiomatic words
- 諺: proverb — a complete sentence expressing traditional wisdom, not the same as an idiom
- 四字熟語: four-character compound — a specific class of set expressions using exactly four kanji