Posted by Nash Biani
have a heart
What is the meaning of this idiom?
How will it help us speak better English?
Speaking Idiomatic English For Better Fluency And Confidence
have a heart :
To be helpful, to
think of others, to be generous, considerate and compassionate. To be kind to
others. To show sympathy to others. To be forgiving.
Examples:
Someone, probably Harry’s
mother, is telling Harry to be kind to his younger brother and give him a
cookie.
2. ‘Our boss is a
bit of a slave driver but I must say he has a heart. When the chips are down, he
is always ready to lend a helping hand to the employees of the company. He
helped Barry with his daughter’s hospital bill which Barry couldn't have
managed to pay.’
Spoken English Course |
The boss is very
strict with his employees and makes them work hard. But he also has a generous
nature and is willing to help people in trouble. He went out of his way to help
one of his employees Barry who wasn't able to pay the bills when his daughter
was in hospital.
3. ‘Have a heart, folks! People have been left homeless by
the floods. Let's all give whatever we can to help them.’
4. ‘Hey guys, have a heart! Let’s all chip in and
buy these boys from the orphanage some stuff for their cricket.’
These are poor boys who are in an orphanage. They are fond
of cricket so let’s be kind and generous to them and chip in to buy some
cricket gear for them.
5. ‘I didn't have the heart to tell Myra she looked terrible
in that fancy hairdo.’
When You Speak English: Some Things To Avoid When Using This Idiom
1. ‘Susan, don’t have a heart to tell Myra she looks
terrible in that fancy hairdo.’ NOT CORRECT
Instead, say:
‘Have a heart, Susan. Don’t tell Myra she looks terrible in
that fancy hairdo. CORRECT
You can’t tell someone not to ‘have a heart’. Although you can say about someone that they didn't have the heart to do something rude or hurtful or to deny someone else
something they wanted.
'Susan didn't have the heart to tell Myra she looked terrible in that fancy hairdo.' CORRECT
'Susan doesn't have the heart to tell Myra she looks terrible in that fancy hairdo.' CORRECT
2. ‘Our gardener is very old and can hardly work but my dad doesn't have the heart to ask him to leave.’ CORRECT
We can’t suggest to him:
‘Don’t have a heart, dad. Let the old man go.’ NOT CORRECT
English Grammar And Idioms Lesson |
But my mom shouldn't tell her: ‘Mother don’t have a
heart. Don’t give them cookies all the time.’
NOT CORRECT
4. ‘Don't have a heart. Don't give them any money. They're
trying to pull a fast one. They don't really run any charity for
cancer patients.’ NOT CORRECT
‘Don't be taken in by these people. Don't give them any money. They're
trying to pull a fast one. They don't really run any charity for
cancer patients.’ CORRECT
Idioms are fun to learn and can add sparkle to your language. Try some more idioms.