{"id":6091,"date":"2026-07-01T23:04:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T23:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T23:06:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T23:06:18","slug":"business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Idioms Decoded: Talk Like a Pro at Work | \u8077\u5834\u82f1\u6587\u6163\u7528\u8a9e (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u672c\u6587\u91cd\u9ede:<\/strong> \u9019\u7bc7\u6587\u7ae0\u5c08\u70ba\u53f0\u7063\u4e0a\u73ed\u65cf (\u53f0\u7063\u4e0a\u73ed\u65cf) \u6574\u7406\u8077\u5834\u4e0a\u6700\u5e38\u807d\u5230\u7684\u82f1\u6587\u6163\u7528\u8a9e (\u82f1\u6587\u6163\u7528\u8a9e) \u8207\u53e3\u8a9e\u8868\u9054,\u6db5\u84cb\u6703\u8b70\u3001\u96fb\u5b50\u90f5\u4ef6\u8207\u9592\u804a\u4e09\u5927\u60c5\u5883\u3002\u91cd\u9ede\u4e0d\u662f\u6b7b\u80cc\u6e05\u55ae,\u800c\u662f\u7406\u89e3\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587 (\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587) \u6163\u7528\u8a9e\u80cc\u5f8c\u7684\u908f\u8f2f,\u5e6b\u52a9\u4f60\u5728\u591a\u76ca (\u591a\u76ca) \u4e4b\u5916\u771f\u6b63\u807d\u61c2\u540c\u4e8b\u7684\u5f26\u5916\u4e4b\u97f3,\u63d0\u5347\u8077\u5834\u82f1\u6587 (\u8077\u5834\u82f1\u6587) \u6e9d\u901a\u529b\u3002<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You have studied grammar for years. Your TOEIC score is solid. Then a foreign colleague says, <em>&#8220;Let&#8217;s circle back on this after we touch base with the client&#8221;<\/em> \u2014 and suddenly none of it helps. Every word is familiar, yet the sentence means nothing. This is the hidden wall between textbook English and the language people actually use at work. Idioms and expressions are where that wall is thickest, and for Taiwanese professionals they are often the difference between following a meeting and quietly nodding along, hoping no one asks a question.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This guide is not a list to memorize. It is a way of seeing how workplace idioms behave \u2014 where they hide, why they resist translation, and how to absorb them so they feel natural rather than forced. If you have ever finished an English meeting and thought <em>&#8220;I understood the words but not the point,&#8221;<\/em> this is written for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why an Idiom Is &#8220;Un-Googleable&#8221; | \u70ba\u4ec0\u9ebc\u6163\u7528\u8a9e\u67e5\u5b57\u5178\u6c92\u7528<\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aLjYgKKOwtc?feature=oembed\" title=\"Business Idioms Decoded: Talk Like a Pro at Work\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reason idioms trip up even advanced learners is simple: their meaning is not stored in the individual words. When someone says a deadline is <em>&#8220;a moving target,&#8221;<\/em> looking up <em>moving<\/em> \u305d\u3057\u3066 <em>target<\/em> separately gets you nowhere. The phrase carries a compressed idea \u2014 &#8220;the requirement keeps changing&#8221; \u2014 that only exists as a whole. This is why a dictionary (\u82f1\u6587\u5b57\u5178) helps with vocabulary but often fails with expressions.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Chinese speakers, the trap is doubled. Mandarin has its own rich set of idioms (\u6163\u7528\u8a9e), and the instinct is to translate the image directly. But <em>&#8220;to have a lot on your plate&#8221;<\/em> has nothing to do with food, and <em>&#8220;the ball is in your court&#8221;<\/em> has nothing to do with sports. The picture is a decoration; the meaning is a convention that a community of speakers simply agreed on. Accept that early, and you stop wasting energy trying to decode the metaphor and start learning the meaning as a single unit.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is the useful reframe: treat each idiom as one long &#8220;word.&#8221; You did not analyze why a <em>keyboard<\/em> is called a keyboard \u2014 you just learned what it points to. Do the same with <em>&#8220;touch base.&#8221;<\/em> It means &#8220;have a quick check-in.&#8221; That is the whole lesson. No etymology required.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Meeting-Room Idioms You&#8217;ll Actually Hear | \u6703\u8b70\u5ba4\u88e1\u771f\u7684\u6703\u807d\u5230\u7684\u6163\u7528\u8a9e<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meetings are dense with idioms because they are fast, informal, and full of shorthand. Colleagues are not writing a report; they are thinking out loud. Once you recognize the recurring expressions, a meeting stops feeling like a wall of noise and starts sounding like a conversation you can join.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-3.jpg\" alt=\"two women sitting beside table and talking\" class=\"wp-image-6085\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-3.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-3-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-3-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">two women sitting beside table and talking<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Getting Down to Business | \u9032\u5165\u6b63\u984c<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the start of a meeting, people signal the shift from small talk to work. <em>&#8220;Let&#8217;s get the ball rolling&#8221;<\/em> means &#8220;let&#8217;s begin.&#8221; <em>&#8220;Let&#8217;s dive in&#8221;<\/em> means the same. When someone says <em>&#8220;let&#8217;s not reinvent the wheel,&#8221;<\/em> they are urging the team to reuse what already works instead of building from scratch. And <em>&#8220;let&#8217;s take this offline&#8221;<\/em> is a polite way of saying &#8220;we&#8217;ll discuss this privately later, not in front of everyone&#8221; \u2014 often a sign the topic is sensitive or off the agenda.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Notice a pattern: many meeting idioms are about <em>direction and momentum<\/em>. English business culture (\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587 culture) prizes the appearance of forward motion, so the language is full of movement metaphors \u2014 rolling, diving, circling back, moving forward. Once you hear that theme, new expressions become easier to guess.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When Plans Change | \u8a08\u756b\u751f\u8b8a\u6642<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Projects rarely go as planned, and there is a whole family of idioms for that moment. <em>&#8220;Back to the drawing board&#8221;<\/em> means the current plan failed and the team must start over. <em>&#8220;We hit a snag&#8221;<\/em> means a small unexpected problem appeared. If a project is <em>&#8220;on the back burner,&#8221;<\/em> it has been paused in favor of higher priorities \u2014 not cancelled, just waiting. And if someone warns that a plan is <em>&#8220;a can of worms,&#8221;<\/em> they mean opening it will create many new complications.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are exactly the phrases that never appear in a TOEIC (\u591a\u76ca) reading passage but dominate real conversation. That gap is why a strong test score and confident real-world English often feel like two different skills \u2014 and why targeted practice, or an English tutor (\u82f1\u6587\u5bb6\u6559) who works with actual workplace audio, closes it faster than another grammar book.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"796\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-4.jpg\" alt=\"study\" class=\"wp-image-6086\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-4.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-4-300x221.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-4-1024x755.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-4-768x566.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-4-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-4-600x442.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">study<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Idioms Hiding in Your Inbox | \u85cf\u5728\u6536\u4ef6\u5323\u88e1\u7684\u6163\u7528\u8a9e<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Written business English feels more formal, but it is still full of expressions. In fact, email idioms carry a lot of tone that Chinese speakers often miss \u2014 and tone is where professional relationships are made or damaged.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When a colleague writes <em>&#8220;just a heads-up,&#8221;<\/em> they are giving you advance warning about something, usually as a courtesy. <em>&#8220;Let&#8217;s keep this on your radar&#8221;<\/em> means &#8220;stay aware of it, but no action needed yet.&#8221; <em>&#8220;I&#8217;ll loop you in&#8221;<\/em> promises to include you in a future email or discussion. And the classic <em>&#8220;circle back&#8221;<\/em> simply means &#8220;return to this topic later&#8221; \u2014 it is not a criticism, just a scheduling note.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some inbox idioms are softeners \u2014 polite cushions around a hard message. <em>&#8220;With all due respect&#8221;<\/em> almost always precedes disagreement. <em>&#8220;Correct me if I&#8217;m wrong&#8221;<\/em> signals the writer is fairly sure they are right. Learning to read these cues is a core part of professional English (\u8077\u5834\u82f1\u6587); the literal words say one thing, but the function is social. Miss the cushion and you may read a polite disagreement as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Small Talk Is Idiom Territory | \u9592\u804a\u5c31\u662f\u6163\u7528\u8a9e\u7684\u4e3b\u5834<\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-5.jpg\" alt=\"black laptop computer\" class=\"wp-image-6087\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-5.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-5-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-5-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">black laptop computer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The few minutes before a meeting starts, or the elevator ride with a manager, are where many Taiwanese professionals feel most exposed. Small talk has no agenda, so you cannot prepare a script \u2014 and it is saturated with casual idioms.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If someone asks how a project is going and you reply <em>&#8220;so far, so good,&#8221;<\/em> you sound natural and relaxed. If work is overwhelming, <em>&#8220;I&#8217;m swamped&#8221;<\/em> \u307e\u305f\u306f <em>&#8220;I&#8217;ve got a lot on my plate&#8221;<\/em> communicates it instantly. When a coworker says they are <em>&#8220;under the weather,&#8221;<\/em> they are mildly unwell. And <em>&#8220;it&#8217;s not my cup of tea&#8221;<\/em> is a gentle way to say you don&#8217;t enjoy something without sounding negative.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The strategic move here is to build a small set of go-to expressions you can deploy automatically \u2014 a personal toolkit of maybe ten phrases. You do not need hundreds. You need a handful that cover the situations you face weekly, produced without hesitation. Fluency in small talk is less about vocabulary size and more about instant access to a few reliable phrases.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Actually Learn Idioms \u2014 Not Memorize Lists | \u5982\u4f55\u771f\u6b63\u5b78\u6703\u6163\u7528\u8a9e(\u800c\u975e\u6b7b\u80cc\u6e05\u55ae)<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is the hard truth: memorizing a list of fifty idioms produces almost no usable skill. You may recall the definition on a quiz, but you will not catch the phrase spoken at natural speed, and you certainly will not produce it in the right moment. Idioms are procedural knowledge, like riding a bicycle \u2014 they live in use, not in storage.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-6.jpg\" alt=\"Communication by coffee.Two cups of freshly brewed coffee (cappuccino) on a table, with the following text on the coffee fo\" class=\"wp-image-6088\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-6.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-6-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-6-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-6-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-6-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-6-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Communication by coffee.\n\nTwo cups of freshly brewed coffee (cappuccino) on a table, with the following text on the coffee fo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A more effective approach rests on three habits. First, <strong>collect from real input.<\/strong> When you hear or read an idiom in an actual meeting, email, or podcast, write down the whole sentence it appeared in \u2014 not just the phrase. Context is what makes it stick, because your brain stores the situation alongside the words.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Second, <strong>learn in chunks, not fragments.<\/strong> Don&#8217;t study <em>&#8220;touch base&#8221;<\/em> alone; learn <em>&#8220;Let&#8217;s touch base next week.&#8221;<\/em> The surrounding grammar comes free, and you get a ready-made sentence you can reuse. This is how children acquire idioms \u2014 as whole ready-to-use blocks.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Third, <strong>use it within 24 hours.<\/strong> Force one new expression into a real message or conversation the next day, even if it feels awkward. A single genuine use does more for retention than ten review sessions. This is where working with a tutor (\u82f1\u6587\u5bb6\u6559) or a language partner pays off \u2014 you get low-stakes chances to try phrases before you need them in front of a client.<\/p>\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>You don&#8217;t learn idioms by studying them. You learn them by noticing them, then daring to use them before you feel ready.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When NOT to Use Idioms | \u4ec0\u9ebc\u6642\u5019\u5225\u7528\u6163\u7528\u8a9e<\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"715\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-7.jpg\" alt=\"Man presenting and pointing to a whiteboard filled with sticky notes in an orange meeting room\" class=\"wp-image-6089\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-7.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-7-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-7-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-7-768x508.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-7-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-7-600x397.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Man presenting and pointing to a whiteboard filled with sticky notes in an orange meeting room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An idiom used well signals fluency. An idiom used wrong signals the opposite \u2014 and there are moments to avoid them entirely. In a multinational meeting, remember that many colleagues are also non-native speakers. Piling on idioms can exclude them, so plain, clear English is often the more professional choice, not the less.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Be cautious with formal writing too. A contract, an official report, or a message to a senior client you don&#8217;t know well are not places for <em>&#8220;let&#8217;s touch base.&#8221;<\/em> Register matters: idioms lean casual, and using a casual phrase in a formal context can read as sloppy. The safest habit is to mirror the other person. If they use idioms with you, they are inviting the same in return. If they stay formal, follow their lead.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Above all, never force an idiom just to sound advanced. A half-remembered expression delivered wrong \u2014 <em>&#8220;the ball is in my field&#8221;<\/em> instead of <em>&#8220;in my court&#8221;<\/em> \u2014 draws more attention to the mistake than a plain sentence ever would. When unsure, say it plainly. Clarity always beats a shaky idiom.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Questions | \u5e38\u898b\u554f\u984c<\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-8.jpg\" alt=\"English Lesson Home Work\" class=\"wp-image-6090\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-8.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-8-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-8-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-8-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-8-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-8-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">English Lesson Home Work<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many business idioms do I really need? | \u6211\u5230\u5e95\u9700\u8981\u5b78\u5e7e\u500b?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Far fewer than you think. Roughly thirty to forty high-frequency expressions cover the vast majority of workplace situations. Master those to the point of automatic use, and you will understand most meetings and emails. Depth beats breadth \u2014 a small set you truly own is worth more than a long list you half-recognize.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Will idioms help my TOEIC score? | \u6163\u7528\u8a9e\u5c0d\u591a\u76ca\u6709\u5e6b\u52a9\u55ce?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indirectly. The TOEIC (\u591a\u76ca) listening section increasingly uses natural workplace speech, so idiom awareness helps you follow conversations. But the deeper payoff is real communication (\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587 communication), which the test only partially measures. Study idioms for your career first; the score improvement is a bonus.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I misunderstand an idiom in a meeting? | \u5982\u679c\u6211\u5728\u6703\u8b70\u4e2d\u807d\u932f\u4e86\u600e\u9ebc\u8fa6?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask. A simple <em>&#8220;Sorry, what do you mean by that?&#8221;<\/em> is completely professional and native speakers do it too. Pretending to understand is the real risk \u2014 it leads to missed tasks and wrong assumptions. Clarifying signals that you care about getting it right, which colleagues respect.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your Next Step | \u4e0b\u4e00\u6b65<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Idioms and expressions are not decorative extras on top of &#8220;real&#8221; English \u2014 for workplace communication, they <em>are<\/em> the real English. The good news is that you don&#8217;t need a special talent to master them, just a system: collect from real input, learn in full chunks, and use each new phrase within a day. Start with one this week. The next time a colleague says <em>&#8220;let&#8217;s circle back,&#8221;<\/em> you won&#8217;t just understand it \u2014 you&#8217;ll be ready to say it yourself.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want a reliable reference while you build your collection, a good idioms dictionary or workbook keeps your definitions accurate: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?k=business+english+idioms+book\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">browse business English idiom guides on Amazon<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources | \u53c3\u8003\u8cc7\u6599<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u30b1\u30f3\u30d6\u30ea\u30c3\u30b8\u8f9e\u66f8<\/a> \u2014 idiom definitions and usage examples<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u30e1\u30ea\u30a2\u30e0\u30fb\u30a6\u30a7\u30d6\u30b9\u30bf\u30fc\u8f9e\u5178<\/a> \u2014 American English idioms and meanings<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/learningenglish\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC\u30e9\u30fc\u30cb\u30f3\u30b0\u30a4\u30f3\u30b0\u30ea\u30c3\u30b7\u30e5<\/a> \u2014 real-world English expressions and listening practice<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishcouncil.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u30d6\u30ea\u30c6\u30a3\u30c3\u30b7\u30e5\u30fb\u30ab\u30a6\u30f3\u30b7\u30eb<\/a> \u2014 resources for professional English learners<\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A practical guide to the idioms and expressions Taiwanese professionals actually hear in meetings, emails, and small talk \u2014 and how to learn them for real instead of memorizing lists.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[1759,203,504,1760,276,1032,201,633,206,1184,248,505],"class_list":["post-6091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article-posts","tag-business-idioms","tag-english-for-professionals","tag-esl-taiwan","tag-idioms-and-expressions","tag-workplace-english","tag-1032","tag-201","tag-633","tag-206","tag-1184","tag-248","tag-505"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":23,"label":"Articles"}],"post_tag":[{"value":1759,"label":"business idioms"},{"value":203,"label":"English for professionals"},{"value":504,"label":"ESL Taiwan"},{"value":1760,"label":"idioms and expressions"},{"value":276,"label":"workplace English"},{"value":1032,"label":"\u53f0\u7063\u4e0a\u73ed\u65cf"},{"value":201,"label":"\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587"},{"value":633,"label":"\u591a\u76ca"},{"value":206,"label":"\u8077\u5834\u82f1\u6587"},{"value":1184,"label":"\u82f1\u6587\u53e3\u8a9e"},{"value":248,"label":"\u82f1\u6587\u5b78\u7fd2"},{"value":505,"label":"\u82f1\u6587\u6163\u7528\u8a9e"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/business-idioms-decoded-workplace-english-1-1024x682.jpg",1024,682,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/author\/admin\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":23,"name":"Articles","slug":"article-posts","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":23,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":252,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":23,"category_count":252,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Articles","category_nicename":"article-posts","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":1759,"name":"business idioms","slug":"business-idioms","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1759,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":203,"name":"English for professionals","slug":"english-for-professionals","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":203,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":504,"name":"ESL Taiwan","slug":"esl-taiwan","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":504,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":53,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":1760,"name":"idioms and expressions","slug":"idioms-and-expressions","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1760,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":276,"name":"workplace English","slug":"workplace-english","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":276,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":22,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":1032,"name":"\u53f0\u7063\u4e0a\u73ed\u65cf","slug":"%e5%8f%b0%e7%81%a3%e4%b8%8a%e7%8f%ad%e6%97%8f","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1032,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":39,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":201,"name":"\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587","slug":"%e5%95%86%e6%a5%ad%e8%8b%b1%e6%96%87","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":201,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":64,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":633,"name":"\u591a\u76ca","slug":"%e5%a4%9a%e7%9b%8a","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":633,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":26,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":206,"name":"\u8077\u5834\u82f1\u6587","slug":"%e8%81%b7%e5%a0%b4%e8%8b%b1%e6%96%87","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":206,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":20,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":1184,"name":"\u82f1\u6587\u53e3\u8a9e","slug":"%e8%8b%b1%e6%96%87%e5%8f%a3%e8%aa%9e","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1184,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":248,"name":"\u82f1\u6587\u5b78\u7fd2","slug":"%e8%8b%b1%e6%96%87%e5%ad%b8%e7%bf%92","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":248,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":69,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":505,"name":"\u82f1\u6587\u6163\u7528\u8a9e","slug":"%e8%8b%b1%e6%96%87%e6%85%a3%e7%94%a8%e8%aa%9e","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":505,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":12,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6091"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6091\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6092,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6091\/revisions\/6092"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}