English In A Minute

2025-08-19 Phrases with ‘heart’ – English In A Minute

Introduction

You know what a heart is – it pumps blood around your body! But did you know that there are some English phrases with the word ‘heart’? Learn some of them here with Phil.

Phrases with ‘heart’

learn by heart
memorise so you can remember without notes

  • I am so ready for my speech today – I’ve even learnt it by heart.

eat your heart out
used to show you think you are better at something than someone well-known for doing it, usually as a joke

  • Wow, look at Jamie doing karaoke – eat your heart out, Beyonce!

wear your heart on your sleeve
show your feelings clearly, without trying to hide them

  • I could tell she was disappointed with the exam results – she wears her heart on her sleeve.

TRANSCRIPT

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Phil
I’m sure you know what a heart is, but do you know these phrases with ‘heart’?
 
They’re all really useful, so maybe you should learn them by heart. That means memorise them so you can remember them without notes.
 
For the test, I need you to learn these formulas by heart. If you can’t remember them, you’ll fail.
 
Of course, I know you’re great at learning formulas. Eat your heart out, Einstein! We say eat your heart out to mean you think you are even better at something than someone famous for doing it, though it’s often just a joke.
 
Look at how I play football – eat your heart out, Ronaldo!
 
We often use ‘heart’ to talk about feelings. If you’re someone who shows their feelings very clearly, we can say that you wear your heart on your sleeve.
 
If he was unhappy, you’d know about it – he always wears his heart on his sleeve.
 
So, here are three phrases with ‘heart’. Try to learn them by heart and use them this week!

BBC Learning English

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