Animal Idioms
10 Animal Idioms for Kids — Meanings, Hindi Translation & Examples
Learn 10 fun animal idioms with Hindi meanings, examples, and quiz!
📅 Updated: June 2, 2026 · ⏱️ 12 min read · Page 5 of 35
What is an Idiom? 🤔
An idiom is a phrase where words together mean something DIFFERENT from each word alone. This page teaches 10 animal idioms with Hindi meanings, origin stories, examples, conversations, common mistakes, and writing practice!
#1⭐🌧️🐱🐶
“Raining cats and dogs”
What does “Raining cats and dogs” mean?
“Raining cats and dogs” means very heavy rain. In Hindi: “मूसलाधार बारिश”.
🗣️ Say it: RAINING cats and dogs
😂 Literal
Cats & dogs falling from sky
→
✅ Actual
Heavy rainfall
📜 Origin: Old houses had straw roofs where animals hid — rain washed them out!
✏️ Examples:
- Cancel the picnic — it’s raining cats and dogs!
- We got soaked because it was raining cats and dogs.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘raining cats and dogs’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means very heavy rain.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: Cancel the picnic — it’s raining cats and dogs!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ It’s raining cat and dog.
✅ It’s raining cats and dogs.
💡 Plural — ‘cats AND dogs’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#2⭐🐴✋
“Hold your horses”
What does “Hold your horses” mean?
“Hold your horses” means wait, be patient. In Hindi: “रुको, धीरज रखो”.
🗣️ Say it: HOLD your HORSES
😂 Literal
Holding horse reins
→
✅ Actual
Telling someone to wait
📜 Origin: Riders pull reins to stop horses.
✏️ Examples:
- Hold your horses — let me finish!
- Hold your horses — the food isn’t ready yet.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘hold your horses’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means wait, be patient.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: Hold your horses — let me finish!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Hold your horse.
✅ Hold your horses.
💡 Plural — ‘horses’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#3⭐🦋😰
“Butterflies in my stomach”
What does “Butterflies in my stomach” mean?
“Butterflies in my stomach” means feeling nervous. In Hindi: “पेट में तितलियाँ”.
🗣️ Say it: BUTTERFLIES in my stomach
😂 Literal
Butterflies in a belly
→
✅ Actual
Nervous feeling
📜 Origin: Anxiety causes fluttery stomach sensations.
✏️ Examples:
- I had butterflies before the interview.
- She gets butterflies before every performance.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘butterflies in my stomach’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means feeling nervous.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: I had butterflies before the interview.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Butterfly in stomach.
✅ Butterflies in my stomach.
💡 Plural — ‘butterflies’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#4⭐🐦🪱
“The early bird catches the worm”
What does “The early bird catches the worm” mean?
“The early bird catches the worm” means starting early = advantage. In Hindi: “जल्दी उठो, फायदा पाओ”.
🗣️ Say it: EARLY bird catches the WORM
😂 Literal
Bird eating worm at dawn
→
✅ Actual
Being early brings advantage
📜 Origin: Birds that wake earliest get the most food.
✏️ Examples:
- She wakes at 5 AM — the early bird catches the worm!
- Want the best seats? Early bird catches the worm!
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘the early bird catches the worm’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means starting early = advantage.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: She wakes at 5 AM — the early bird catches the worm!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Early bird gets worm.
✅ The early bird catches the worm.
💡 Use ‘the’ and ‘catches’ (not ‘gets’)!
✍️ Your Turn:
#5⭐🐊😢
“Crocodile tears”
What does “Crocodile tears” mean?
“Crocodile tears” means fake crying. In Hindi: “मगरमच्छ के आँसू”.
🗣️ Say it: CROCODILE tears
😂 Literal
Crocodile crying
→
✅ Actual
Pretending to be sad
📜 Origin: Crocs produce tears while eating — not from sadness!
✏️ Examples:
- Those are just crocodile tears — he’s not really sorry.
- Stop the crocodile tears and apologize properly!
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘crocodile tears’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means fake crying.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: Those are just crocodile tears — he’s not really sorry.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ He cried crocodile tear.
✅ He cried crocodile tears.
💡 Plural — ‘tears’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#6⭐🐒🤪
“Monkey business”
What does “Monkey business” mean?
“Monkey business” means silly mischief. In Hindi: “शरारत”.
🗣️ Say it: MONKEY business
😂 Literal
Monkeys in business suits
→
✅ Actual
Naughty behaviour
📜 Origin: Monkeys are naturally mischievous.
✏️ Examples:
- No monkey business while I’m gone!
- The boys were up to monkey business during recess.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘monkey business’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means silly mischief.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: No monkey business while I’m gone!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Stop monkey’s business.
✅ Stop the monkey business.
💡 No apostrophe — ‘monkey business’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#7⭐🐝💼
“Busy as a bee”
What does “Busy as a bee” mean?
“Busy as a bee” means very hardworking. In Hindi: “बहुत व्यस्त”.
🗣️ Say it: BUSY as a BEE
😂 Literal
Bee in office
→
✅ Actual
Always working hard
📜 Origin: Bees work nonstop collecting nectar.
✏️ Examples:
- Mummy is busy as a bee during Diwali preparation.
- During exams, every student is busy as a bee.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘busy as a bee’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means very hardworking.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: Mummy is busy as a bee during Diwali preparation.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Busy as bee.
✅ Busy as a bee.
💡 Include ‘a’ — ‘as A bee’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#8⭐🦁🍰
“Lion’s share”
What does “Lion’s share” mean?
“Lion’s share” means the biggest portion. In Hindi: “सबसे बड़ा हिस्सा”.
🗣️ Say it: LION’S share
😂 Literal
Lion eating most of the food
→
✅ Actual
Getting the biggest share
📜 Origin: From Aesop — the lion always took the most.
✏️ Examples:
- He ate the lion’s share of the pizza.
- The senior players got the lion’s share of practice time.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘lion’s share’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means the biggest portion.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: He ate the lion’s share of the pizza.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Lion share.
✅ The lion’s share.
💡 Use ‘the’ and apostrophe — ‘the lion’s share’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#9⭐⭐🐟😰
“Fish out of water”
What does “Fish out of water” mean?
“Fish out of water” means uncomfortable in new place. In Hindi: “अनजान जगह पर असहज”.
🗣️ Say it: FISH out of WATER
😂 Literal
Fish on dry land
→
✅ Actual
Uncomfortable in new situation
📜 Origin: Fish can’t survive on land — they’re helpless.
✏️ Examples:
- New to the city, he was a fish out of water.
- I was a fish out of water at the formal dinner.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘fish out of water’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means uncomfortable in new place.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: New to the city, he was a fish out of water.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Fish out of the water.
✅ A fish out of water.
💡 Use ‘a’ and no ‘the’ before water!
✍️ Your Turn:
#10⭐⭐🐍🌿
“Snake in the grass”
What does “Snake in the grass” mean?
“Snake in the grass” means secret enemy. In Hindi: “छुपा दुश्मन”.
🗣️ Say it: SNAKE in the grass
😂 Literal
Snake hiding in grass
→
✅ Actual
A hidden enemy pretending to be a friend
📜 Origin: Snakes hide in grass — invisible until they strike.
✏️ Examples:
- Watch out for him — he’s a snake in the grass.
- The traitor was a snake in the grass all along.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘snake in the grass’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means secret enemy.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: Watch out for him — he’s a snake in the grass.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Snake in grass.
✅ A snake in the grass.
💡 Use ‘a’ and ‘the’ — ‘a snake in THE grass’!
✍️ Your Turn:
🎯 Match the Meaning!
Raining cats and dogs
Hold your horses
Butterflies in my stomach
The early bird catches the worm
Crocodile tears
✏️ Fill in the Idiom
Stuck? Click 💡 Hint!
_very heavy rain_… (use an idiom!)
_wait, be patient_… (use an idiom!)
_feeling nervous_… (use an idiom!)
_starting early = advantage_… (use an idiom!)
_fake crying_… (use an idiom!)
❓ Quiz — Test Yourself!
1. ‘Raining cats and dogs’ means:
2. ‘Hold your horses’ means:
3. ‘Butterflies in my stomach’ means:
4. ‘The early bird catches the worm’ means:
5. ‘Crocodile tears’ means:
6. ‘Monkey business’ means:
7. ‘Busy as a bee’ means:
8. ‘Lion’s share’ means:
🤓 Fun Facts
🤓 There are over 25,000 idioms in English! This page teaches 10 animal idioms.
🤓 Many animal idioms have fascinating origin stories going back hundreds of years!
👨👩👧 Parent Tips
- Use idioms naturally in conversation.
- Play idiom charades.
- Make flashcards.
- Spot idioms in books/movies.
- Weekly idiom challenge!
📚 Explore More on English1to5.com
❓ FAQ
What are animal idioms?
Animal Idioms are phrases that use animal references to describe everyday situations.
How many idioms are here?
10 idioms with meanings, Hindi translations, examples, and dialogues.
Why learn idioms?
Idioms are used daily in English. Knowing them helps you understand books, movies, and conversations better.
Are these used in India?
Yes! All these idioms are commonly used in Indian English.
What grade level?
Grade 2-5 (ages 7-11).