Hello everyone!
Welcome to Idiom 100, where we learn 100 commonly used idioms by native English speakers.
All of the explanations are in English, so it might be challenging for you,
but just try to imagine the meanings in your head and study hard and soon you'll be able to use these idioms in your conversations.
Is everyone ready? Let's begin.
Today's idiom is: second nature.
Second nature.
Alright, do you have any idea what this might mean?
Let's imagine you have a bubble around your body, okay?
And let's call this your first nature.
It's what is most natural for you.
Maybe breathing, eating, drinking, sleeping...
It's your instincts, your nature or natural things, okay?
And then, let's make a second bubble and we'll call this your second nature.
Okay, so not your first, but your second nature, alright?
Now, let's listen to some examples and see if we can figure out this idiom together.
Alright, first example:
It must be nice to be fluent in two languages. Do you ever have to think about what you say?
No, not really. It's second nature to me.
Alright, so he's fluent in two languages and he doesn't have to think about how to speak in either language.
Okay, it's his second nature.
Let's listen to the second example.
Do you have to think about which train to ride in the morning?
No, I’ve been riding the same train for a couple of years. It’s already second nature to me.
Okay, so he's riding the train for many years and he doesn't have to think about which train or which line to take.
It's second nature.
Alright, so if you guessed it, 'second nature' means something that's very easy for you.
Maybe it's a special talent or maybe it's something you've been doing for a long time,
so you're so used to it, you don't have to think about it.
Alright, so you can use this in any situation.
It's not casual or formal. It's okay in any situation to talk about second nature.
Okay, so I hope if you keep studying English, maybe speaking English will become your second nature.
Good luck and see you next time!