It’s almost time for a summer vacation!
Are you screaming with excitement because you and your friends just planned a trip to the beach?
Are you over the moon to be getting some rest and relaxation?
Or are you just happy?
“Happy” is a good word, but does it do your feelings justice?
Those other words like “sad,” “angry” and “confused” are also useful, but do they really allow you to express your entire range of emotions?
You want to let others know exactly how you feel and put more color into the conversation. After all, there are only so many times you can say “I’m happy” before the word loses its meaning.
In this post, we’ll explain how you can recognize the key elements of advanced English phrases that’ll help you talk about emotions—and practically anything else—in a precise, engaging way.
Then, we’ll show you 15 specific advanced English phrases you can add to your toolbox right away!
Key Elements of Advanced English Phrases for Emotions
Many English learners have a habit of building their vocabularies one word at a time. This may seem useful when you’re a beginner. However, as you advance, you’ll realize it’s not efficient. Recognizing phrases and linguistic (language) patterns will help you become fluent much faster.
This is especially true when expressing emotion. There are a lot of emotion-related phrases that can be confusing if you try to break them into their individual words. Understanding the key elements that typically make up these expressions will help you remember new advanced phrases faster; it’ll also help you from getting totally lost when you encounter new expressions in your English reading or speech.
Here are some of those key elements to look out for:
Idioms
Many English expressions for emotions rely on idioms. Idioms can seem nonsensical at first, but once you’re familiar with them, they allow you to express a lot of information in just a few words.
Some idioms and expressions come with elaborate background stories. Take “Catch-22” as an example.
This idiom comes from Joseph Heller’s novelof the same name. In the book, an army psychiatrist uses the term to explain the regulations that made it impossible for pilots to be excused from flying dangerous missions. The pilots need to be declared insane in order to be excused from service, but any pilot who wants to be excused from these harrowing (troubling and distressing) missions must be sane. So there’s no escape.
English speakers have since used this phrase when they refer to a dilemma or a paradoxical situation, or a situation from which there’s no escape because the rules contradict each other.
So, two words and you have the whole story. Amazing, right?
If you agree, then check out these guides that’ll help you become an English idiom pro:
Awesome Color Idioms That Will Improve Your English Fluency20 Essential English Idioms for Sounding Like a NativeSpeak English Naturally with 37 Common English IdiomsThe Musical Guide to English Idioms: 20 Idioms Found in Songs25 English Idioms and Phrases That Are Commonly Used in Business
Some idioms to look for in the list of emotional phrases below include “fool’s paradise” and “butterflies in your stomach.”
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