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Sometimes English is as clear as mud. When native speakers use idioms, it feels like you’re being kept in the dark, and you have to bend over backward to catch on and understand what they’re talking about. What a pain in the neck—if only English idioms were a piece of cake. Idioms are one of the trickiest parts of learning another language. Every language is littered with them, and your native language surely also has tons of idioms that trip up learners. They’re so natural and normal to native speakers that they don’t even think about them, but to learners, they can be pretty nonsensical. The only way to learn idioms is simply to memorize them. Forget about the literal meaning and treat them like a long noun, verb, or adjective phrase, because that’s essentially what they are. With enough time and exposure, you’ll get used to them and be able to use them naturally, just like native speakers. So, ready to take a crack at English idioms? Here are 70 common idioms every English learner should know.

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