Collocations, fixed expressions and idioms — what they are
Three kinds of ready-made phrase you learn whole, not word by word.
These three labels all describe chunks of language you learn as one unit, because the words go together in a way you cannot predict from English.
- A collocation is a habitual partnership of words — most often a verb + noun. French says faire du sport (to do/play sport), prendre une douche (to take/have a shower). The verb is fixed by custom: you cannot swap in a logical-sounding alternative.
- A fixed expression is a set phrase used the same way every time: à mon avis (in my opinion), de temps en temps (from time to time), s'il vous plaît (please). You memorise the whole thing.
- An idiom is the trickiest: its meaning is not the sum of the individual words. Il pleut des cordes literally reads 'it is raining ropes', but it means it is pouring with rain.
The single most important habit is this: translate the chunk, not the words. A beginner who meets faire la queue and translates word by word gets the nonsense 'to make the tail'. A skilled candidate recognises the fixed expression and reads it correctly as to queue / to stand in line.
| Chunk | Word-for-word (wrong) | Real meaning |
|---|---|---|
| faire la queue | to make the tail | to queue / stand in line |
| avoir faim | to have hunger | to be hungry |
| prendre une décision | to take a decision | to make a decision |
| il y a | it there has | there is / there are |
Worked mini-example. You meet Nous avons fait la grasse matinée. word by word it looks like 'we made the fat morning' — meaningless. Recognise faire la grasse matinée as a fixed expression and it becomes We had a lie-in / We slept in (a-VWAR fay la grass ma-tee-NAY).
- Collocation = fixed verb-noun partner (faire du sport).
- Fixed expression = set phrase used the same way every time (à mon avis).
- Idiom = meaning not predictable from the words (il pleut des cordes = it's pouring).
- Golden rule: translate the chunk, never word by word.