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 4 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⭐🐦⬛🦚
“Crow in peacock’s feathers”
What does “Crow in peacock’s feathers” mean?
“Crow in peacock’s feathers” means pretending to be someone you’re not. In Hindi: “कौवा मोर के पंखों में”.
🗣️ Say it: CROW in PEACOCK’S feathers
😂 Literal
🐦⬛ A crow wearing peacock feathers
→
✅ Actual
✅ Faking a better identity
📜 Origin: A crow can wear peacock feathers but it’s still a crow — like pretending to be rich!
✏️ Examples:
- He drives a rented car to impress people — just a crow in peacock’s feathers!
- She wore designer copies to the party — a crow in peacock’s feathers.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘crow in peacock’s feathers’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means pretending to be someone you’re not.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: He drives a rented car to impress people — just a crow in peacock’s feathers!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Crow in peacock feather.
✅ A crow in peacock’s feathers.
💡 Plural ‘feathers’ and use apostrophe!
✍️ Your Turn:
#2⭐🛒🐴
“Don’t put the cart before the horse”
What does “Don’t put the cart before the horse” mean?
“Don’t put the cart before the horse” means do things in the proper order. In Hindi: “गाड़ी को घोड़े के आगे मत रखो”.
🗣️ Say it: Don’t put the CART before the HORSE
😂 Literal
🛒 A cart placed in front of the horse
→
✅ Actual
✅ Do things in the right order
📜 Origin: Horses pull carts from the front — putting the cart first means wrong order!
✏️ Examples:
- Learn to walk before you run — don’t put the cart before the horse!
- He’s planning the victory party before the exam — putting the cart before the horse!
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘don’t put the cart before the horse’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means do things in the proper order.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: Learn to walk before you run — don’t put the cart before the horse!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Don’t put cart before horse.
✅ Don’t put the cart before the horse.
💡 Always use ‘the’ before both cart and horse!
✍️ Your Turn:
#3⭐🐑💛
“As gentle as a lamb”
What does “As gentle as a lamb” mean?
“As gentle as a lamb” means very kind, sweet, and mild-tempered. In Hindi: “मेमने जैसा नरम”.
🗣️ Say it: As GENTLE as a LAMB
😂 Literal
🐑 A soft, fluffy, gentle baby lamb
→
✅ Actual
✅ An extremely gentle and kind person
📜 Origin: Lambs are the gentlest baby animals — soft, quiet, and harmless!
✏️ Examples:
- My grandmother is as gentle as a lamb — she never raises her voice.
- The new teacher is as gentle as a lamb — every student loves her.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘as gentle as a lamb’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means very kind, sweet, and mild-tempered.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: My grandmother is as gentle as a lamb — she never raises her voice.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Gentle as lamb.
✅ As gentle as a lamb.
💡 Use ‘as…as’ and ‘a’ — ‘as gentle as A lamb’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#4⭐⭐🐯🔄
“Tiger can’t change its stripes”
What does “Tiger can’t change its stripes” mean?
“Tiger can’t change its stripes” means a person’s basic nature doesn’t change. In Hindi: “बाघ अपनी धारियाँ नहीं बदल सकता”.
🗣️ Say it: A TIGER can’t change its STRIPES
😂 Literal
🐯 A tiger trying to paint over its stripes
→
✅ Actual
✅ People don’t change their basic nature
📜 Origin: No matter what, a tiger always has stripes — people also stay the same at heart!
✏️ Examples:
- He promised to stop lying, but a tiger can’t change its stripes.
- She keeps arriving late — a tiger can’t change its stripes!
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘tiger can’t change its stripes’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means a person’s basic nature doesn’t change.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: He promised to stop lying, but a tiger can’t change its stripes.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Tiger can’t change stripe.
✅ A tiger can’t change its stripes.
💡 Plural ‘stripes’ and include ‘a’ and ‘its’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#5⭐🐟🏊
“Teaching a fish to swim”
What does “Teaching a fish to swim” mean?
“Teaching a fish to swim” means giving unnecessary help to someone who already knows. In Hindi: “मछली को तैरना सिखाना”.
🗣️ Say it: Teaching a FISH to SWIM
😂 Literal
🐟 A person teaching a fish to swim in a pool
→
✅ Actual
✅ Unnecessary advice to an expert
📜 Origin: Fish already know how to swim — teaching them is useless and silly!
✏️ Examples:
- Telling Sachin Tendulkar how to bat is like teaching a fish to swim!
- You’re teaching a fish to swim by explaining Hindi to Dadi — she speaks it perfectly!
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘teaching a fish to swim’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means giving unnecessary help to someone who already knows.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: Telling Sachin Tendulkar how to bat is like teaching a fish to swim!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Teaching fish swimming.
✅ Teaching a fish to swim.
💡 Use ‘a fish TO swim’ — not ‘fish swimming’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#6⭐🐒🌳
“Even a monkey falls from a tree”
What does “Even a monkey falls from a tree” mean?
“Even a monkey falls from a tree” means even experts make mistakes sometimes. In Hindi: “बंदर भी कभी गिरता है”.
🗣️ Say it: Even a MONKEY falls from a TREE
😂 Literal
🐒 A monkey slipping from a tree
→
✅ Actual
✅ Even skilled people make errors
📜 Origin: Monkeys are expert climbers, but even they slip sometimes!
✏️ Examples:
- Even Virat Kohli gets out for zero sometimes — even a monkey falls from a tree!
- The spelling champion made a mistake — even a monkey falls from a tree.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘even a monkey falls from a tree’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means even experts make mistakes sometimes.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: Even Virat Kohli gets out for zero sometimes — even a monkey falls from a tree!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Even monkey falls from tree.
✅ Even a monkey falls from a tree.
💡 Use ‘a’ before both monkey and tree!
✍️ Your Turn:
#7⭐⭐🐘🐭
“Elephants don’t catch mice”
What does “Elephants don’t catch mice” mean?
“Elephants don’t catch mice” means important people don’t worry about small matters. In Hindi: “हाथी कीड़ा नहीं पकड़ता”.
🗣️ Say it: ELEPHANTS don’t catch MICE
😂 Literal
🐘 An elephant trying to catch a tiny mouse
→
✅ Actual
✅ Big people don’t bother with tiny matters
📜 Origin: Elephants are too big to bother with mice — similarly, leaders focus on big issues!
✏️ Examples:
- The CEO won’t solve your printer problem — elephants don’t catch mice!
- Don’t bother the principal about pencils — elephants don’t catch mice.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘elephants don’t catch mice’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means important people don’t worry about small matters.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: The CEO won’t solve your printer problem — elephants don’t catch mice!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Elephant don’t catch mouse.
✅ Elephants don’t catch mice.
💡 Plural — ‘elephants’ and ‘mice’ (not ‘mouses’)!
✍️ Your Turn:
#8⭐🐱💤🐭🎉
“When the cat’s away, the mice will play”
What does “When the cat’s away, the mice will play” mean?
“When the cat’s away, the mice will play” means people misbehave when the authority figure is absent. In Hindi: “जब बिल्ली नहीं होती, चूहे नाचते हैं”.
🗣️ Say it: When the CAT’S away, the MICE will play
😂 Literal
🐱 A sleeping cat while mice have a party
→
✅ Actual
✅ People misbehave when the boss/teacher is gone
📜 Origin: Mice come out and play only when the cat isn’t around — just like kids when teacher leaves!
✏️ Examples:
- When the teacher stepped out, the class went wild — when the cat’s away, the mice will play!
- Papa went on a trip and we ate ice cream for dinner — when the cat’s away!
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘when the cat’s away, the mice will play’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means people misbehave when the authority figure is absent.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: When the teacher stepped out, the class went wild — when the cat’s away, the mice will play!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ When cat is away, mouse plays.
✅ When the cat’s away, the mice will play.
💡 ‘Cat’s’ with apostrophe, ‘mice’ (plural), ‘will play’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#9⭐🥛😢
“Don’t cry over spilt milk”
What does “Don’t cry over spilt milk” mean?
“Don’t cry over spilt milk” means don’t waste time being upset about something that already happened. In Hindi: “बिखरे दूध पर मत रोओ”.
🗣️ Say it: Don’t cry over SPILT milk
😂 Literal
🥛 Someone crying over a puddle of spilt milk
→
✅ Actual
✅ Don’t waste energy on past mistakes
📜 Origin: Once milk is spilt, you can’t put it back — so crying about it is useless!
✏️ Examples:
- I know you lost the match, but don’t cry over spilt milk — focus on the next one!
- She broke her phone screen but didn’t cry over spilt milk — she got it fixed.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘don’t cry over spilt milk’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means don’t waste time being upset about something that already happened.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: I know you lost the match, but don’t cry over spilt milk — focus on the next one!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Don’t cry for spilt milk.
✅ Don’t cry over spilt milk.
💡 ‘Over’ not ‘for’ — ‘cry OVER spilt milk’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#10⭐⭐🐕💤
“Let sleeping dogs lie”
What does “Let sleeping dogs lie” mean?
“Let sleeping dogs lie” means don’t bring up old problems that could cause trouble. In Hindi: “सोते कुत्तों को मत जगाओ”.
🗣️ Say it: Let sleeping DOGS lie
😂 Literal
🐕 Someone about to poke a sleeping dog
→
✅ Actual
✅ Don’t stir up old problems
📜 Origin: If you wake a sleeping dog, it might bite you — similarly, don’t revive old arguments!
✏️ Examples:
- Don’t mention the broken window again — let sleeping dogs lie!
- Their fight was months ago — best to let sleeping dogs lie.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Did you know ‘let sleeping dogs lie’?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means don’t bring up old problems that could cause trouble.
👦 Aarav: Can you use it in a sentence?
👧 Priya: Don’t mention the broken window again — let sleeping dogs lie!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Let sleeping dog lay.
✅ Let sleeping dogs lie.
💡 Plural ‘dogs’ and ‘lie’ (not ‘lay’)!
✍️ Your Turn:
🎯 Match the Meaning!
Crow in peacock’s feathers
Don’t put the cart before the horse
As gentle as a lamb
Tiger can’t change its stripes
Teaching a fish to swim
✏️ Fill in the Idiom
Stuck? Click 💡 Hint!
_pretending to be someone you’re not_… (use an idiom!)
_do things in the proper order_… (use an idiom!)
_very kind, sweet, and mild-tempered_… (use an idiom!)
_a person’s basic nature doesn’t change_… (use an idiom!)
_giving unnecessary help to someone who already knows_… (use an idiom!)
❓ Quiz — Test Yourself!
1. ‘Crow in peacock’s feathers’ means:
2. ‘Don’t put the cart before the horse’ means:
3. ‘As gentle as a lamb’ means:
4. ‘Tiger can’t change its stripes’ means:
5. ‘Teaching a fish to swim’ means:
6. ‘Even a monkey falls from a tree’ means:
7. ‘Elephants don’t catch mice’ means:
8. ‘When the cat’s away, the mice will play’ 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).