English Idioms (Basic)

Something that is very easy to do.

"Don't worry about the test; it will be a piece of cake."

"Jangan khawatir dengan tesnya; itu akan sangat mudah."

To be very expensive.

"I love that car, but it costs an arm and a leg."

"Aku suka mobil itu, tapi harganya sangat mahal."

Good luck (usually said before a performance).

"You'll do great in the play tonight. Break a leg!"

"Kamu pasti akan tampil luar biasa malam ini. Semoga sukses!"

To study hard.

"I have a big exam tomorrow, so I need to hit the books tonight."

"Aku ada ujian besar besok, jadi aku harus belajar malam ini."

To reveal a secret by accident.

"I accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party."

"Aku tidak sengaja membocorkan rahasia tentang pesta kejutan itu."

To go to bed or go to sleep.

"I'm so exhausted after working all day. I'm going to hit the sack."

"Aku sangat lelah setelah bekerja seharian. Aku mau tidur sekarang."

Feeling slightly ill or sick.

"I won't go to school today because I'm feeling a bit under the weather."

"Aku tidak akan ke sekolah hari ini karena badanku sedikit tidak enak."

Something that happens very rarely.

"My brother lives in another country, so I only see him once in a blue moon."

"Kakakku tinggal di negara lain, jadi aku hanya melihatnya sangat jarang."

Something that will never happen.

"I'll clean my room when pigs fly!"

"Dia akan membersihkan kamarnya kalau sudah ada keajaiban."

To feel sad or depressed.

"She has been feeling blue since her pet dog passed away."

"Aku selalu merasa sedih saat liburan sudah berakhir."

To give away a secret.

"Come on, spill the beans! What did he say to you?"

"Jangan bocorkan rahasianya tentang pesta kejutan!"

A lazy person who watches too much television.

"Stop being a couch potato and go outside to exercise!"

"Kakakku sangat pemalas; dia menonton TV sepanjang hari."

To wait or be patient.

"Hold your horses! We can't leave until everyone is ready."

"Sabar dulu! Mari kita pikirkan ini sebelum mengambil keputusan."

To be in the same difficult situation as someone else.

"We both failed the math test, so we are in the same boat."

"Kita berdua gugup menghadapi tes; kita berada di situasi yang sama."

To stop yourself from saying something.

"I wanted to tell him his haircut looked bad, but I had to bite my tongue."

"Aku ingin memberitahunya bahwa dia salah, tapi aku harus menahan diri."

A good thing that seemed bad at first.

"Losing that job was a blessing in disguise because I found a much better one."

"Kehilangan pekerjaan itu ternyata membawa berkah; aku menemukan yang jauh lebih baik."

It is better to do something late than not at all.

"I'm sorry I'm late to the party, but better late than never!"

"Aku tahu aku terlambat, tapi lebih baik terlambat daripada tidak sama sekali, kan?"

To face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage.

"I have to bite the bullet and go to the dentist."

"Aku benar-benar tidak mau ke dokter gigi, tapi aku harus hadapi saja."

To stop working on something.

"We've been working for ten hours. Let's call it a day."

"Kita sudah bekerja selama sepuluh jam. Ayo berhenti untuk hari ini."

To do something quickly and poorly to save money or time.

"The builder cut corners, and now the roof is leaking."

"Tukang bangunan itu mengambil jalan pintas, dan sekarang atapnya bocor."

Used to tell someone to be careful.

"Easy does it! That box is very fragile."

"Hati-hati! Kotak itu sangat rapuh."

To lose control of a situation.

"The children's party got out of hand when they started throwing cake."

"Pesta anak-anak itu tidak terkendali saat mereka mulai melempar kue."

To make a special effort to achieve something.

"If you want to pass the exam, you need to go the extra mile."

"Jika kamu ingin lulus ujian, kamu perlu berusaha lebih keras."

Don't give up in a difficult situation.

"I know work is hard right now, but hang in there!"

"Aku tahu pekerjaannya berat sekarang, tapi tetap semangat!"

To tell a story briefly.

"To make a long story short, my flight was canceled."

"Singkat cerita, penerbangan saya dibatalkan."

You have to work hard to achieve your goals.

"My muscles hurt from the gym, but no pain, no gain."

"Ototku sakit karena olahraga, tapi bersakit-sakit dahulu bersenang-senang kemudian."

To be alert, active, or attentive.

"She missed her coffee this morning, so she's not on the ball."

"Dia tidak sempat minum kopi pagi ini, jadi dia kurang fokus hari ini."

To joke with someone.

"I was just pulling your leg when I said the exam is tomorrow."

"Aku hanya bercanda saat bilang ujiannya besok."

Time passes very quickly.

"Time flies when you are having fun."

"Waktu berlalu sangat cepat saat kamu sedang bersenang-senang."

Something that is very common and not special.

"Those plastic rings are a dime a dozen."

"Cincin plastik seperti itu sangat umum dan murah."

Suddenly and unexpectedly.

"He called me completely out of the blue after five years."

"Dia meneleponku tiba-tiba tanpa pemberitahuan setelah lima tahun."

To feel uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation.

"At the fancy dinner, I felt like a fish out of water."

"Di makan malam mewah itu, aku merasa sangat canggung dan tidak pada tempatnya."

Both people involved in a bad situation are responsible.

"Don't blame just him for the argument; it takes two to tango."

"Jangan salahkan dia saja atas pertengkaran itu; kedua belah pihak ikut bertanggung jawab."

To give up.

"The puzzle was too difficult, so I threw in the towel."

"Teka-tekinya terlalu sulit, jadi aku menyerah."

To agree with someone.

"My boss and I don't always see eye to eye about the new project."

"Bosku dan aku tidak selalu sepakat soal proyek baru ini."

To do something too soon.

"Don't jump the gun; wait until we have all the facts before deciding."

"Jangan tergesa-gesa; tunggu sampai kita punya semua faktanya sebelum memutuskan."

To understand how to do a job or activity.

"It took me a few weeks to know the ropes at my new job."

"Butuh beberapa minggu bagiku untuk mengetahui seluk-beluk pekerjaan baruku."

To watch or monitor something or someone closely.

"Can you keep an eye on my bag while I go to the bathroom?"

"Bisakah kamu menjaga tasku sementara aku ke kamar mandi?"

To learn how to do a new job or task.

"I'm still learning the ropes in this new department."

"Aku masih mempelajari cara kerja di departemen baru ini."

A general rule based on practice or experience.

"As a rule of thumb, you should drink two liters of water a day."

"Sebagai patokan umum, kamu sebaiknya minum dua liter air sehari."

To be extremely annoyed with someone or something.

"I am sick and tired of eating the same food every night."

"Aku sudah muak makan makanan yang sama setiap malam."

Speed and skill in using one's hands.

"The magician's sleight of hand was amazing to watch."

"Keterampilan tangan pesulap itu sangat menakjubkan untuk ditonton."

To relax and avoid working too hard.

"You've worked all week; you should take it easy this weekend."

"Kamu sudah bekerja sepanjang minggu; kamu harus bersantai akhir pekan ini."

Undecided or uncertain.

"Our holiday plans are still up in the air."

"Rencana liburan kami masih belum pasti."

To feel very nervous.

"I always have butterflies in my stomach before giving a speech."

"Aku selalu sangat gugup sebelum memberikan pidato."

To remain joyful in a tough situation.

"The interview didn't go well, but keep your chin up; you'll find another job."

"Wawancaranya tidak berjalan baik, tapi tetap semangat; kamu pasti akan menemukan pekerjaan lain."

In a risky or unsafe situation.

"You're on thin ice for being late three times this week."

"Kamu dalam situasi berbahaya karena sudah terlambat tiga kali minggu ini."

Out of danger or difficulty.

"Her fever broke, but the doctor said she isn't fully out of the woods yet."

"Demamnya mereda, tapi dokter bilang dia belum sepenuhnya keluar dari bahaya."

To say something embarrassing or stupid unintentionally.

"I really put my foot in my mouth when I asked about her ex-boyfriend."

"Aku benar-benar salah bicara saat menanyakan tentang mantan pacarnya."

To find a hidden meaning in something.

"She said she was fine, but if you read between the lines, she's actually upset."

"Dia bilang baik-baik saja, tapi kalau kamu baca makna tersiratnya, dia sebenarnya kesal."