Hey, well hello and welcome to this episode of Learn Everyday English, your roadway to English proficiency.
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My name is Gary and I will be your host today.
I'm a native English speaker born and raised in the United States and living in a small Texas town about one hour north of Houston.
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On today's episode we're going to talk about English expressions with the word heaven in it.
Heaven. And just to let you know, you don't have to write all this information down.
I'm going to have copies of the program notes available where you can download from the Learn Every Day English webpage.
And to do that just go to the webpage www .learneverydayenglish .com.
There will be a podcast resources page or link that you can click on to that will take you to the podcast resources page and just click on the episode that says English expressions with the words heaven in them.
So I'm going to give you, I think there's about 10 expressions.
I'm going to go over and tell you what the expression is and give you a definition of what it means.
And then I'm going to give you two sample or example sentences using the expression so that you can see how it is used in the English language.
Well, to start off with, I hope everybody maybe knows what heaven is.
Maybe if you're a religious person or not, but usually in the Bible or any other religions, maybe, but I know in the Christian religion, heaven is a place where people go.
We say Christians go when they die.
You know, nobody really knows where heaven is or exactly what it is, but it's a place where you go to be with God.
So that's the belief in the Christian religion and other religions as well.
But we use this word heaven in quite a few expressions in the English language.
So the first expression is in heaven or to be in heaven, in heaven or to be in heaven.
And this just means to be in a state of extreme happiness or to be in a place where you are very happy.
So the first example sentence is this.
This beach in Mexico is so beautiful.
I'm in heaven. This beach in Mexico is so beautiful.
I'm in heaven. That means the beach is so lovely.
You love it so much.
You like it so much that you feel that you are in a place just like heaven would be.
The second example sentence is this.
This bed feels so comfortable.
I'm in heaven. This bed feels so comfortable.
I'm in heaven. That means I'm very, very happy to be in this bed because it is so comfortable.
The second example has to do with the phrase a match made in heaven, a match made in heaven.
And the definition of this is a very happy partnership as if the two people were made for each other.
So a match, it can be like two things or we say a pair.
Like you can say, are your socks matching today?
Like do you have the same color, same type of sock?
And so a match made in heaven is here is talking about a pairing of two things.
It doesn't have to be people per se or necessarily.
A lot of times we do use it for people and that's what a partnership is.
A partnership is an agreement or arrangement between or with two people, but it can also be a match made in heaven can be things too.
And I'll give you an example of that.
So the first example sentence is this.
John and Mary seem to get along so well.
They are a match made in heaven.
John and Mary seem to get along so well.
They are a match made in heaven.
The second example sentence is this and it has to do with food.
Bacon and eggs taste so good together.
They are a match made in heaven.
Bacon and eggs taste so good together.
They are a match made in heaven.
And if you like bacon and eggs, which is a typical American breakfast, then you might agree that the combination of bacon and eggs is a match made in heaven.
The third example sentence or phrase has to do with to move heaven and earth.
To move heaven and earth.
And this means to do everything that you can do to make something happen.
To do everything you can do or sometimes we say to do everything in your power to make something happen or something occur.
The first example sentence is this.
If you are as serious about going to college as you say you are, you will move heaven and earth to make it happen.
If you are as serious about going to college as you say you are, you will move heaven and earth to make it happen.
That means you will do whatever you need to do to go to college if you are serious about it the way that you are telling me that you are.
The second example sentence is this.
A parent will move heaven and earth to protect their child and make sure they are safe.
A parent will move heaven and earth.
That means a parent will do anything that is necessary to protect their child and make sure that they are safe.
And I'm sure those of you that are parents will agree with this statement.
A lot of parents say I will do anything for my child or I will do anything for my children for their well -being and their safety.
The next example phrase has to do with the phrase heaven forbid.
Heaven forbid. Forbid is spelled F -O -R -B -I -D.
Forbid. And this means a phrase used to invoke or to say something, at least figuratively.
So you invoke a higher power.
That means you call upon the help or assistance of a higher power.
And a higher power in this sense usually means like God or something like that.
To prevent something that one believes would be tragic if it were to happen.
So let me repeat that.
It's a phrase used to call upon or ask help, you could say, from a higher power or source.
So that's something that you believe may be tragic.
You want that thing not to happen.
So you call upon and ask help from a higher power.
But sometimes this phrase can also be used sarcastically or kind of in a manner to make fun of something or someone.
The first example sentence is this.
Heaven forbid that my father gets the coronavirus.
He already has a lot of health problems.
Heaven forbid that my father gets the coronavirus.
He already has a lot of health problems.
That means heaven forbid.
That means, boy, I hope that never happens.
I hope to God that never happens.
That thing that you dread or you fear will not come to pass.
That means heaven forbid.
Also, the second example sentence is a sentence using sarcasm or being funny with somebody.
Maybe you have a friend who is complaining that they are very hungry and they are going to miss dinner and their life is going to end.
I am going to miss dinner.
What am I going to do?
You can say to them, oh, heaven forbid that you miss dinner just for one day.
You will still live.
Heaven forbid that you miss dinner for just one day.
You will still live.
That means basically you are saying, ah, stop complaining.
It won't hurt you if you miss dinner for one day.
The next expression is heaven knows.
Heaven knows. This means no one knows except for God or for the heavens or really for a higher power.
Heaven knows means who knows or nobody knows except God.
The first example sentence is this.
Heaven knows when life will return to normal after this pandemic.
Heaven knows when life will return to normal after this pandemic.
That means who knows when life will return to normal or only God knows when life will return to normal.
The next example sentence is this.
Two people are talking and the first person asks the question, you think John will ask you to marry him?
You think John will ask you to marry him?
The person answers, only heaven knows.
Only heaven knows. Again, a question.
You think John will ask you to marry him or do you think John will ask you to marry him?
The answer is only heaven knows.
That means I really don't know.
I have no idea. Only God knows.
Only a higher power may know that answer or can answer that question.
The next example phrase is stinks to high heaven.
Stinks to high heaven and to stink means to smell bad or have a bad odor or sometimes we say a foul odor.
Yes, so it means to have a very strong or unpleasant odor but it can also have a second and a different meaning which is a thing that can seem to be extremely suspicious or even corrupt.
Suspicious or corrupt if somebody is involved in something or doing something wrong that they shouldn't be doing.
For example, the first sentence is this.
Wow, what is that smell?
It stinks to high heaven around here.
Wow, what is that smell?
It stinks to high heaven around here.
That means it is really stinky.
It smells really bad around here.
The second example sentence has to do with something that somebody is doing that is not right or is wrong or perhaps even illegal.
For example, I can say, John suddenly has a lot of money.
I think he may be selling drugs and if so, that stinks to high heaven.
John suddenly has a lot of money.
I think he may be selling drugs and if so, that stinks to high heaven.
That means what John is doing, which I think he is selling drugs, that stinks to high heaven.
That means it's a very, very bad thing that he's doing.
It's corrupt or suspicious and also it has the idea that I don't like it at all.
I disapprove of what John is doing so his actions or his activity stinks to high heaven.
The next expression is to die and go to heaven.
To die and go to heaven.
This means to have a very good experience with something or doing something.
For example, my summer vacation was just incredible and was a dream come true.
I felt like I died and went to heaven.
My summer vacation was just incredible and was a dream come true.
I felt like I died and went to heaven.
That means I felt like I was in heaven because a lot of people dream.
When they go to heaven, it will be a very nice place.
So when you die and go to heaven, it's like you are in a place like heaven.
The next example sentence is this.
I went to Mexico this summer and got to use and improve my Spanish.
I just loved it so much.
I died and went to heaven.
I went to Mexico this summer and got to use and improve my Spanish.
I just loved it so much.
I died and went to heaven.
The next example phrase is for heaven's sake.
For heaven's sake. Sake is S -A -K -E.
This is like a mild oath we say of surprise or an expression of surprise that you say or it can be an expression of exasperation.
Exasperation. That means like you are kind of tired of something that is happening to you.
You don't want to maybe have to deal with it anymore and it can also be an expression of annoyance or frustration or even anger.
For example, the first sentence is this.
If somebody is talking to you and they just won't stop talking and you're getting irritated or annoyed at them or with them, you can say, for heaven's sake, can you please shut up and be quiet?
For heaven's sake, can you please shut up and be quiet?
And the second example sentence is this.
For heaven's sake, when will this pandemic be over and life can get back to normal?
For heaven's sake, when will this pandemic be over and life can get back to normal?
So, this is a hard expression to really translate into a specific phrase exactly what it means but it's just something that somebody says when they have certain types of emotions or feelings.
It's like I said feelings of annoyance or frustration, surprise or anger.
The next expression is heaven on earth.
Heaven on earth and this is similar to maybe some previous expressions but this is something that is very enjoyable or pleasurable.
It is like having or experiencing heaven here on earth.
So, we say this could be a this is an example sentence.
Disneyland is like heaven on earth to a little kid.
Disneyland is like heaven on earth to a little kid.
The second example sentence is this.
My favorite thing in the whole wide world is to look at cars.
So, when I went to the car show over the weekend, it was like heaven on earth for me.
My favorite thing in the whole wide world, that's an expression that we use in English, in the whole wide world is that my favorite thing to do of anything or of everything I like to do.
So, my favorite thing in the whole wide world is to look at cars.
So, when I went to the car show over the weekend, it was like heaven on earth for me.
That means I looked I felt like I had actually died and gone to heaven.
You could say the other expression we learned or I was experiencing something like heaven right here on earth.
And the last expression is the heavens opened or the heavens opened up.
The heavens opened up.
That means it began to rain very heavily or began to rain very hard or it started to rain very heavily.
The first example sentence is this.
As soon as I went outside to take a walk, the heavens opened.
Or I can say the heavens opened up.
So, as soon as I went outside to take a walk, the heavens opened up.
That means as soon as I went outside to go for a walk, it started to rain very hard or very heavily.
And the second example sentence is this.
Halfway during the baseball game, the heavens opened up and they had to cancel the tournament.
Halfway or we can also say midway is the same thing.
Halfway or midway. Halfway during the baseball game, the heavens opened up and they had to cancel the tournament.
So, like midway or at the middle point of the baseball game, it started to rain very heavily and they had to cancel the baseball tournament.
Hey, well, I hope you enjoyed those expressions using the word heaven.
And these are very, very common expressions you will hear used in English.
When people speak to each other, even, you know, at work or your friends or family, you hear them in movies, TV shows, on the news.
So, make sure you kind of go over this and practice these expressions.
And I'd love to hear what you thought of this episode.
And if you have any other thoughts, questions for me, if you have any ideas or suggestions for specific topics you would like me to discuss on this program, just go to the Learn Every Day English webpage and on the home page or the first page at the bottom, as I said before, there's a contact form.
Just send me a message.
I'd love to hear from you.
And again, remember, you can go to the Learn Every Day English webpage, the podcast resources page, and download the program notes so you can follow along with me and actually review these expressions and example sentences.
And just to let you know, to give you a sneak peek about the next lesson, we're going to talk about English expressions involving the word hell, hell, H -E -L -L.
So, this is kind of the opposite of what we were talking about today about heaven.
So, we're going to talk about expressions using the word hell next week.
So, make sure you don't miss that.
Well, I think that's it for now, listeners.
Hey, be sure to check out our upcoming episodes.
Thanks for listening.
Hey, and goodbye.
