By Year 6, pupils meet idioms in newspapers and stories as well as in speech. Many describe a person’s character, kindly or otherwise: murah hati (generous), kecil hati (hurt), batu api (a stirrer of trouble), bermuka dua (two-faced), tin kosong (all talk, no substance).
What your child will learn
- Give the meaning of further idioms
- Choose the idiom that fits a sentence
- Tell flattering idioms from unflattering ones
People and their ways
Luck and money: langkah kanan (a lucky start), durian runtuh (a windfall), mata duitan (money-minded), lintah darat (a loan shark), tangkai jering (a miser).
Conduct: campur tangan (to meddle), pilih kasih (to play favourites), atas pagar (sitting on the fence), kambing hitam (a scapegoat), tulang belakang (the backbone of a family or team).
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Apakah maksud simpulan bahasa “naik angin”?
- gembira
- marah
- terbang tinggi
- berasa sejuk
Show answer
Answer: marah. “naik angin” bermaksud marah.
2. Apakah maksud simpulan bahasa “buah hati”?
- sakit jantung
- buah yang manis
- orang yang sangat disayangi
- hadiah
Show answer
Answer: orang yang sangat disayangi. “buah hati” bermaksud orang yang sangat disayangi.
3. Apakah maksud simpulan bahasa “pilih kasih”?
- melebihkan seseorang dan tidak adil
- menyayangi semua orang
- sukar membuat pilihan
- memilih hadiah
Show answer
Answer: melebihkan seseorang dan tidak adil. “pilih kasih” bermaksud melebihkan seseorang dan tidak adil.
Tips for grown-ups
- Sort idioms into praise and criticism.
- Spot idioms in newspaper headlines and guess the story.