Idioms & speech

87 phrases

Idioms29 Every phrase here is a body-part idiom, and the trap is reading it literally. 「彼は甘いものに目がない」does not mean he has no eyes—it means he can't resist sweets. 「部長は顔が広くて」is "well-connected," not "wide-faced," and 「社長なのに腰が低くて」describes humility, not posture. Memorize each figurative meaning as one fixed unit.
Colloquial speech29 This is casual spoken Japanese, where sounds get swallowed. 「言われたって」is 「言われても」, 「電車行っちゃうよ」contracts 行ってしまう, and 「やってらんない」is 「やっていられない」. The じゃん in 「当たり前じゃん」and the の in 「食べちゃったの？」are pure conversation—natural among friends, but too blunt for a boss. Train your ear to hear the full form behind each contraction.
Other expressions29 A mixed bag of high-value N2 patterns held together by their connectives. 「健康あっての仕事だ」uses 名詞+あっての名詞—B exists only because A does. 「雨が降らないうちに」means "before it starts," and 「努力した割に」sets up a result that fell short of the effort. 「彼のことだから」means "knowing him," a judgment from character. Master the connector, not just the vocabulary.

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