2024
Understanding English Idioms: A Guide for Sinhala Speakers
English idioms can be tricky for non-native speakers, particularly for those whose first language is Sinhala. Idioms are expressions where the meaning is not directly related to the individual words, making them confusing if taken literally. However, mastering idioms can greatly enhance your fluency and understanding of English. In this guide, we’ll explore 50 common English idioms, their meanings, and how they can be translated or understood in Sinhala.
50 Common English Idioms and Their Sinhala Equivalents
Break the Ice
- Meaning: To start a conversation in a social situation.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "කතා ඇරඹීම" (Katha Arambima) - initiating the conversation.
Bite the Bullet
- Meaning: To endure a painful or unpleasant situation.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "කාරණාවට මුහුණ දීම" (Karanawata Muhuna Dima) - facing the situation.
Piece of Cake
- Meaning: Something very easy to do.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ලෙභෙසි" (Lehesi) - easy.
Let the Cat Out of the Bag
- Meaning: To reveal a secret unintentionally.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "රහස එළියට දමනවා" (Rahasa Eliyata Damanawa) - revealing the secret.
Spill the Beans
- Meaning: To disclose a secret.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "රහස පවසනවා" (Rahasa Pavasanawa) - telling the secret.
Burn the Midnight Oil
- Meaning: To work late into the night.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "රාත්‍රී ගත කරනවා" (Rathri Gatha Karanawa) - staying up late.
Hit the Nail on the Head
- Meaning: To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "නිවැරදිව කියනවා" (Niwadariwa Kiyanawa) - saying it correctly.
Cost an Arm and a Leg
- Meaning: Something very expensive.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "වැඩියෙන්ම වටිනා" (Wadiyenma Watinawa) - extremely valuable.
Under the Weather
- Meaning: Feeling unwell or sick.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "අසනීපයෙන්" (Asanipayen) - feeling unwell.
The Ball is in Your Court
- Meaning: It is now your decision or responsibility to take action.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ඔබේ යුතුකම" (Obe Yuthukama) - your responsibility.
On Cloud Nine
- Meaning: Extremely happy.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "අතිශයින්ම ප්‍රීතිමත්" (Atishainma Preethimath) - extremely happy.
A Blessing in Disguise
- Meaning: Something good that isn’t recognized at first.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ඇරඹේ ප්‍රතිඵලයක් විය හැකි යමක්" (Arambe Pratiphala Yak Wiya Haki Yamak) - something initially perceived as negative but turns out positive.
Actions Speak Louder than Words
- Meaning: What you do is more important than what you say.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "කතා කිරිමේට වඩා ක්‍රියා කිරීමට වටිනා" (Katha Kirimeta Wada Kriya Kirimata Watina) - actions are more valuable than words.
Add Fuel to the Fire
- Meaning: To make a bad situation worse.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "තවත් කෝපකරනය කරනවා" (Thawat Kopakaranaya Karanawa) - making the situation worse.
Barking Up the Wrong Tree
- Meaning: To make a wrong assumption.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "නිවැරදි නැති ආකාරය" (Niwadari Nathi Akaraya) - assuming incorrectly.
Beat Around the Bush
- Meaning: To avoid talking about the main issue.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ප්‍රධාන කාරණය ගැන කතා නොකරනවා" (Pradhana Karanaya Gena Katha Nokaranawa) - avoiding the main issue.
Better Late than Never
- Meaning: It’s better to do something late than not do it at all.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "අවසානයේදී පවා සාර්ථක වීම වඩාත් හොඳයි" (Awasanayedi Pawa Sarthaka Wima Wadath Hodai) - better to succeed late than never.
Break a Leg
- Meaning: Good luck, especially before a performance.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "උත්සාහයෙන් ඉන්නවා" (Uthsahayan Innaawa) - wishing success.
Cross That Bridge When You Come to It
- Meaning: Deal with a problem when it occurs, not before.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ඇතුළත නොවේම කලින් ප්‍රශ්නවලට මුහුණ දීම" (Athulatha Nowema Kalin Prashnavalata Muhuna Dima) - face problems when they arise.
Cry Over Spilled Milk
- Meaning: To waste time worrying about something that has already happened.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "වීදුරු බිඳීගිය පසු කඳුළු කැපීම" (Veeduru Bindigaya Pasu Kandulu Kepima) - regretting something that cannot be changed.
Cut to the Chase
- Meaning: To get to the point without wasting time.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ප්‍රධාන කාරණයට පැමිණීම" (Pradhana Karanayata Paminima) - getting to the main point.
Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
- Meaning: Don’t make assumptions based on appearance.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ආකාරයෙන් පමණක් තීරණයක් ගන්න එපා" (Akarayen Pamanak Thiranayak Ganna Epa) - do not judge based on appearance alone.
Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
- Meaning: Every bad situation has some good in it.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "හැම දෙයක්ම හොඳ පැත්තක් තියෙනවා" (Hema Deyakma Hoda Peththak Thiyenawa) - everything has a positive side.
Feeling Under the Weather
- Meaning: Feeling slightly ill.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "අසනීපයෙන්" (Asanipayen) - feeling unwell.
Hit the Sack
- Meaning: To go to bed.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "නිදාගන්න" (Nidaganna) - go to sleep.
In the Heat of the Moment
- Meaning: Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ඉතා කුසලාන කාලයේදී" (Ithaa Kusalaan Kalayedi) - in a highly intense situation.
It Takes Two to Tango
- Meaning: Both parties are responsible for a situation.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "යම් දෙයක් සඳහා දෙපාර්ශවයක් අවශ්‍යයි" (Yam Deyak Sandaha Depaashwayak Avashyayi) - it requires both sides.
Jump on the Bandwagon
- Meaning: To join others in doing something that is currently popular.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ප්‍රචලිත කාර්යයකට එක්වීම" (Prachalitha Karyayakatta Ekwima) - joining a popular activity.
Kill Two Birds with One Stone
- Meaning: To accomplish two things with one action.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "එකක් කරද්දී දෙකක් කිරීමට" (Ekak Karaddi Dekak Kirimata) - achieving two things at once.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
- Meaning: To avoid interfering in a situation that is currently causing no problems.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "නින්දේ කුනුව මල්ට සිනා නොහසිනි" (Ninde Kunuwe Malata Sina Nahasini) - don’t stir up trouble unnecessarily.
Once in a Blue Moon
- Meaning: Something that happens very rarely.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ඉතා ප්‍රතිචාරයේ සිදුවීම" (Ithaa Prathichaaraye Siduwima) - something that happens rarely.
Out of the Blue
- Meaning: Something that happens unexpectedly.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "අනතුරු බරින්" (Anathuru Barin) - unexpectedly.
Piece of Cake
- Meaning: Something very easy to do.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "සහනයි" (Sahanayi) - easy.
Play Devil’s Advocate
- Meaning: To argue against something for the sake of argument.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "කථානායකයාගේ විරෝධතාවය දැක්වීම" (Kathanayakaya Ge Virodhatavaya Dakwima) - presenting an opposing view.
Pulling Someone’s Leg
- Meaning: To joke or tease someone.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "දෙනෙක්ට පස්සේ විනෝදාත්මකව බලාපොරොත්තු වෙනවා" (Denekta Passe Vinodaatmakawa Balaporottu Wenawa) - teasing someone in a friendly way.
Raining Cats and Dogs
- Meaning: To rain very heavily.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "පැලය වැසි වැටෙනවා" (Palaya Wesi Watenawa) - raining heavily.
See Eye to Eye
- Meaning: To agree with someone.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "එකට විදියක්" (Ekata Vidiyaak) - being in agreement.
Speak of the Devil
- Meaning: When the person you were talking about suddenly appears.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "වචන නින්ද" (Vachana Ninda) - speaking of someone who suddenly appears.
Steal Someone’s Thunder
- Meaning: To take the credit for something someone else did.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "වෙනත් එක්කෙනෙකුගේ වාසියට සැනසීමක් ගන්නවා" (Wenath Ekkeneku Ge Wasiyata Sanasima Gannawa) - taking credit for someone else's work.
Take with a Grain of Salt
- Meaning: To not take something too seriously.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ඇත්තමක් නොසලකා" (Aththamak Nosalaka) - not taking it too seriously.
Throw Caution to the Wind
- Meaning: To take a risk.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "කැපවීම" (Kepavima) - taking a risk.
Through Thick and Thin
- Meaning: To support someone through good and bad times.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "හොඳ සහ නරක සමඟ" (Hoda Saha Naraka Samanga) - through good and bad.
Up in the Air
- Meaning: Uncertain or undecided.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "අනියමිත" (Aniyamitha) - undecided.
Wild Goose Chase
- Meaning: A futile or hopeless pursuit.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "අහංකාරයෙන් යන රසවින්දනය" (Ahankarayan Yana Rasavindanaya) - a hopeless quest.
You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
- Meaning: Don’t make assumptions based on appearance.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ආකාරයෙන් පමණක් තීරණයක් ගන්න එපා" (Akarayen Pamanak Thiranayak Ganna Epa) - do not judge based on appearance alone.
Your Guess is as Good as Mine
- Meaning: To have no idea.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "මටද නොහැකි කාරණයක්" (Matada Nahaki Karanayak) - having no clue.
The Best of Both Worlds
- Meaning: To have all the advantages.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "ඔබට හොඳ දෙකක්" (Obata Hoda Dekak) - having all advantages.
Time Flies When You’re Having Fun
- Meaning: Time passes quickly when you are enjoying yourself.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "වේලා අවුරුදු ඉක්මන් වේවා" (Vela Awurudu Ikman Wewa) - time passes quickly when having fun.
Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
- Meaning: To take on a task that is too big.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "හැකි ප්‍රමාණයට වැඩි වැඩක්" (Haki Pramanayata Wadi Weda) - taking on too much.
When Pigs Fly
- Meaning: Something that will never happen.
- Sinhala Equivalent: "කවදාද හෝ සිදු නොවෙන" (Kawadada Ho Sidhu Nowena) - something that will never happen.
Conclusion
Idioms add color and expressiveness to the English language. For Sinhala speakers, mastering idioms can significantly improve your ability to understand and engage in English conversations. By familiarizing yourself with these 50 common idioms and their meanings, you’ll find it easier to communicate effectively and enjoy the richness of the English language. Keep practicing, and soon idioms will become a natural part of your English vocabulary!