Idioms and Proverbs
Idioms (રૂઢિપ્રયોગ) and proverbs (કહેવત) are marked for exact meaning and fit. An idiom’s meaning cannot be built from its words; a proverb is a complete piece of folk wisdom used to comment on a situation. Learn each with one sentence of context, because the exam often asks you to use it, not just define it.
Core distinctions
- રૂઢિપ્રયોગ: a phrase functioning as a unit - “આગમાં ઘી હોમવું” = to make a bad situation worse.
- કહેવત: a full sentence with a general truth - “એક હાથે તાળી ન પડે” = cooperation needs two sides.
- Use the idiom in a sentence that supplies the situation; do not write “અર્થ સહિત વાક્ય” as a definition only.
Worked example
Use “આગમાં ઘી હોમવું” in a sentence. Reasoning: literal ghee feeds fire; figuratively, an action increases conflict. The sentence needs a quarrel or crisis. Model: “બંને ભાઈઓ વચ્ચે ઝઘડો હતો, ને કાકાએ એક પક્ષની વાત કરીને આગમાં ઘી હોમ્યું.” The idiom is now tied to a situation, so it earns the usage mark.
Traps
- Translating the idiom literally.
- Using a proverb as a fragment.
- Mixing idiom and proverb labels.
- Choosing a phrase with the right emotion but wrong agent.
- Forgetting to keep the sentence in Gujarati.