idiom

  phrase whose meaning cannot be deduced from the meaning of the individual words and the specific words cannot be changed without losing the meaning

  Idioms cannot be translated directly, word for word, without losing their (cultural or language-dependent) meaning.

  In English, "spilling the beans" means "revealing a secret." However, "knocking over the beans" or "spilling the vegetables" does not mean the same thing.

  In Japanese, the phrase "さじを投げる" literally translates into "he throws a spoon," but it means that there is nothing he can do and finally he gives up.

  In Dutch, "Hij ging met de kippen op stok" literally translates into "He went to roost with the chickens," but it means that he went to bed early.