Khi nói chuyện với người bản xứ, bạn sẽ học được rằng tiếng Anh cung cấp cho bạn một phạm vi và nhiều loại thành ngữ (Idioms) đáng kinh ngạc và những người bản xứ thường sử dụng chúng thường xuyên. Giọng chuẩn khi nói tiếng Anh vẫn chưa đủ. Để giao tiếp tiếng Anh đúng chuẩn người bản xứ, bạn không thể quên 50 thành ngữ tiếng Anh hay nhất này.
50 thành ngữ tiếng Anh hay nhất
A drop in the ocean: một việc nhỏ trong một tổng thể
A very small part or insignificant amount of something big or whole
→ A donation of 100,000 dollars is just a drop in the ocean compared to the millions that need to be spent.
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Actions speak louder than words: nói dễ hơn làm
It’s better to actually do something than just talk about it
→ I am going to work for an NGO in Africa fighting climate change. Actions speak louder than words.
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Add fuel to the fire: thêm dầu vào lửa
Whenever something is done to make a bad situation even worse than it is
→ Don’t mention the product delay in the meeting. You are just adding fuel to the fire.
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A penny for your thoughts: dùng để hỏi khi ai đó đang trầm tư suy nghĩ
When you want to know what somebody is thinking
→ Why are you staring at the sky? A penny for your thoughts!
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Ball is in somebody’s court: quyết định kế tiếp là do bạn
It is up to somebody to make the next decision or step
→ I have laid out my plan. The ball is in your court now.
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Barking up the wrong tree: hiểu lầm vấn đề/ ai đó
Look in the wrong place or accuse the wrong person
→ I’m not responsible for this mess! You are barking up the wrong tree.
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Be a good catch: người tốt
Be someone worth marrying/having
→ Donald is such a good catch. I hope, he’ll propose soon.
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Beat around the bush: không nói thẳng vào vấn đề chính
Avoid the main topic or not speak directly about the issue
→ Don’t beat around the bush! We can have an open discussion here.
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Bend over backwards: cố gắng làm/ giúp đỡ điều gì đó
Do whatever it takes to help. Willing to do anything
→ Our company is bending over backwards to satisfy our customers.
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Bite off more than you can chew: cố gắng làm nhiều hơn có thể
Take on a task that is too big
→ You bit off more than you can chew. You are never going to finish the presentation on time.
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Blow somebody away: ấn tượng
Be extremely impressed by something
→ The product demo just blew me away. I’ve never seen such a powerful software.
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By the skin of your teeth: thành công một chút và gần thất bại
You only just succeeded and nearly failed
→ Oh man, my car wouldn’t start this morning—I just made it here by the skin of my teeth!
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Couldn’t care less: không quan tâm đến điều gì đó
Have a total lack of interest in something
→ Fine, I couldn’t care less what you do! Good riddance!
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Cry over spilt milk: tốn thời gian cho việc gì đó ở quá khứ
Complain about a loss from the past
→ Please calm down, you’re just crying over spilt milk. We already submitted the report, so we can’t fix it now.
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Cry wolf: kêu cứu đùa
Call for help when you don’t need it
→ I’m sure there’s no real crisis—Janet is always crying wolf so that we’ll do her work for her.
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Crunch time: giai đoạn nước rút
The period of time just before a project has to be completed and everyone has to work hard
→ Okay, we’ve got two minutes to tie the game—it’s crunch time, guys!
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Curiosity killed the cat: tò mò, soi mói
Get into an unpleasant situation by being inquisitive
→ I think you’ll offend her by asking such personal questions — curiosity killed the cat, after all.
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Cut corners: làm việc cẩu thả, làm việc gì đó nhanh chóng mà bỏ qua quy tắc
Do something badly or cheaply
→ Don’t cut corners on this project—it has to be done thoroughly, no matter the cost.
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Cut somebody some slack: thoải mái, tự do làm điều gì đó
Give somebody a break/ not to judge somebody severely
→ I know I made a mistake, but it’s my first week on the job, so cut me some slack, OK?
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Cut to the chase: đi thẳng vào vấn đề
Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point
→ Come on, cut to the chase already—what exactly are you trying to ask me?
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Dig in your heels / Stick to your guns: từ chối thay đổi ý nghĩ
Refuse to compromise or change your mind
→ Please let me tell my side of the story before you dig in your heels on this, OK?
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Down to the wire: tới phút cuối cùng
Something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds
→ Negotiations went down to the wire, but we did in fact agree on a new contract by the deadline.
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Drive someone up the wall: phát cáu, khó chịu
To irritate or annoy very much
→ A week on vacation with my relatives is enough to drive me up the wall.
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Get out of hand: hỗn loạn, mất kiểm soát
Lose control of things
→ If your party gets out of hand, the neighbors will call the police.
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Get your head around it: hiểu
Understand something
→ I just can’t get my head around the fact that my boss is not giving me a raise.
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Give the benefit of the doubt: tạm tin tưởng
Believe someone’s statement, without proof
→ You’re my sister! Can’t you give me the benefit of the doubt, instead of believing the worst about me right away?
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Go down in flames: tuột dốc, thất bại một cách mạnh mẽ
End or fail suddenly and spectacularly
→ Despite all the media hype, the major summer blockbuster went down in flames—hardly anyone went to see it while it was in theaters.
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Hear on the grapevine: nghe đồn
Hear a rumor or unconfirmed story
→ I heard on the grapevine that Stacy and Mark are getting a divorce.
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Hit the books: học hành chăm chỉ
Study very hard
→ You better hit the books if you want to pass your exam on Friday.
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It takes two to tango: cần hơn hai người để giải quyết gì đó
Actions or communications need more than one person
→ Your son blames mine for their fight at school, but it generally takes two to tango.
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Judge a book by its cover: đánh giá qua vẻ bề ngoài
Judge someone or something based solely on appearance
→ I really disliked the product’s packaging. But you can’t judge a book by its cover.
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Jump on the bandwagon: tham gia vào hoạt động nổi tiếng
Join a popular trend or activity
→ I can’t stand these people who just jump on the bandwagon after a win. Where were they last year when the team was terrible?
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Kill two birds with one stone: một mũi tên trúng hai con chim, giải quyết hai vấn đề cùng lúc
Solve two problems at once / with one action
→ I might as well kill two birds with one stone and drop off my tax forms while I’m at the mall for the computer part I need.
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Leave no stone unturned: làm mọi thứ để đạt mục tiêu
Do everything possible to achieve a goal
→ We left no stone unturned looking for that earring, but we still couldn’t find it. I’m thinking it got thrown out.
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Let the cat out of the bag: vô tình tiết lộ bí mật
Accidentially reveal a secret
→ How did Mom find out we were planning a surprise party for her? Who let the cat out of the bag?
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Make a long story short: đi thẳng vào vấn đề
Come to the point
→ My friend introduced me to her at a work function a year ago, and, to make a long story short, we’re moving in together next month.
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Miss the boat: đánh mất cơ hội
Miss the opportunity to do something
→ If you don’t call the recruiter back right away, you’re going to miss the boat.
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Once in a blue moon: thỉnh thoảng, đôi khi
When something rarely ever happens
→ Peter only comes out for a drink once in blue moon now that he has kids.
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Piece of cake: dễ
When something is extremely easy to do
→ I thought I was going to fail the test, but it turned out to be a piece of cake!
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Pull a rabbit out of a hat: kết quả bất ngờ
Do something unexpected
→ The caterer really pulled a rabbit out of a hat by producing 100 cupcakes with just 20 minutes’ notice.
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Pull yourself together: tập trung làm gì đó
Calm down and act normally
→ I know you’re stressed out, but you need to pull yourself together and get this report done!
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Run on fumes: tiếp tục làm mà không có nỗ lực, năng lượng
To continue to operate with no or very little enthusiasm, energy, or resources left
→ I’ve been painting the house for four hours every night after work, and I am seriously running on fumes at this point.
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Sell somebody out: tiết lộ bí mật
Snitch on someone or let their secret out
→ I asked you to keep this information to yourself. I can’t believe you sold me out!
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Shoot from the hip: hành động vội vã, thiếu thận trọng/suy nghĩ
Speak directly
→ The country’s prime minister has gained a reputation for shooting from the hip, issuing executive orders without consulting members of parliament.
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Sit on the fence: không theo phe nào trong cuộc tranh luận
Stay neutral and not take sides
→ You can’t sit on the fence any longer—you need to choose who of these two we need to fire.
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Skeleton crew: số người tối thiểu để duy trì doanh nghiệp, tổ chức
The minimum number of people needed to keep a service/office operating
→ We can’t have a restaurant that is completely closed during the slow season, so we keep a skeleton crew on board to serve the few customers who decide to come in.
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Step up your game: cải thiện hiệu suất để tốt hơn
Start performing better
→ Man, I really need to step up my game if I’m going to play basketball with all these young guys.
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When pigs fly: không bao giờ xảy ra
Something will never happen
→ I’m sure that David would be happy to pay for everyone—when pigs fly, that is.
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Whole nine yards: mọi thứ
Everything
→ Wow, Shelly really went the whole nine yards with toppings for the ice cream bar. There’s much more than just whipped cream and sprinkles here!
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Your guess is as good as mine: không có ý kiến, câu trả lời
Have no idea, do not know the answer to a question
→ When it comes to the election, your guess is as good as mine as far as who is going to win.
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Hy vọng qua bài viết 50 thành ngữ tiếng Anh hay nhất này sẽ giúp bạn luyện tập thật tốt và thành thạo như người bản xứ nhé!