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Making new friends in a new country can feel exciting, but also a little confusing at first. If you are travelling abroad, speaking English more naturally can help you connect with people faster. That is where idioms come in. Idioms are fun and useful expressions that native speakers often use in everyday conversation. Idiom phrases can help you start a conversation, understand others better, and build a strong friendship while you are abroad. In this guide, you will discover common idioms for making friends abroad, with simple meanings and examples to help you use them in the right way.
This Blog Includes:
- List of Idioms for Making Friends Abroad
- 2. Hit it off
- 3. Get on like a house on fire
- 4. Make someone feel at home
- 5. Get to know someone
- 6. Strike up a conversation
- 7. Build bridges
- 8. On the same wavelength
- 9. Put yourself out there
- 10. A friend in need is a friend indeed
- 11. Bend over backwards (for someone)
- 12. Speak the same language
- 13. Be thick as thieves
- 14. Show someone the ropes
- 15. Keep in touch
- Idioms for Making Friends Abroad: Free PDF
- FAQs
List of Idioms for Making Friends Abroad
Here is a list of some common idioms for making friends abroad. These idioms are very useful in day-to-day conversation and feel connected while communicating with new people abroad.
1. Break the ice
Meaning: ‘Break the ice’ means to start a conversation in a friendly and easy way, especially when people feel shy, nervous, or don’t know each other well. It helps reduce the awkward silence or tension in a new situation, like the first day at school, a group meeting, or meeting someone from another country.
Example: On my first day in Berlin, I was nervous until Anna broke the ice by offering to share her umbrella.
2. Hit it off
Meaning: Means to become good friends with someone very quickly. It usually happens when you meet someone for the first time and you both feel comfortable, enjoy talking, and have things in common. For example, if you meet a classmate and start laughing and talking easily, you’ve hit it off.
Example: I met Luca at a language exchange event in Rome, and we hit it off instantly over our love for football.
Also Read: Idioms for Surprise
3. Get on like a house on fire
Meaning: When two people become very good friends in a short time. They enjoy each other’s company, have fun together, and talk easily. It’s used when a friendship forms quickly and naturally, like meeting someone new and instantly feeling like you’ve known them for years.
Example: Despite being from different cultures, Priya and Marta got on like house on fire after just one group project in Madrid.
4. Make someone feel at home
Meaning: Means to help a person feel relaxed, safe, and comfortable, just like they would in their own house. This is often said when someone is new or visiting. For example, if your host family in another country is kind and caring, they help you feel at home.
Example: When I moved to Seoul, Min-jun and his family made me feel at home by cooking a traditional Korean meal for me.
Check out: Sending Best Wishes for Someone Going to Study Abroad
5. Get to know someone
Meaning: ‘Get to know someone’ means to spend time with a person so you can learn more about them, their likes, dislikes, personality, and background. It doesn’t happen instantly. It usually takes talking, sharing experiences, and being around them. For example, you get to know your classmates better by studying or hanging out together.
Example: I really got to know Emma during our weekend trips around the UK while studying in London.
6. Strike up a conversation
Meaning: Start talking with someone, especially a person you don’t know yet. It’s often used in casual or friendly situations, like on a bus, at a party, or in class. For example, you can strike up a conversation with someone by asking where they are from or what they’re studying.
Example: I struck up a conversation with Ahmed on a train from Warsaw to Kraków, and we ended up becoming travel buddies for the week.
Also Read: Safe Journey Wishes for a Friend Going to Study Abroad
7. Build bridges
Meaning: Make a connection or create understanding and friendship between people, especially those from different backgrounds or cultures. It’s about connecting with others by showing respect, kindness, and open-mindedness. For example, when you learn a few local phrases while studying abroad, it helps build bridges with people in that country.
Example: Volunteering with Yuki helped me build bridges with the local community in Osaka.
8. On the same wavelength
Meaning: Means two people think alike or understand each other very well. They often have similar thoughts, feelings, or ideas, which makes communication easy and natural. For example, when you and a new friend quickly agree on things or finish each other’s sentences, you’re on the same wavelength.
Example: Even though we just met, Sofia and I were on the same wavelength about everything—from music to life goals.
Also Read: 11+ Best Idioms for Friendship in English for Everyday
9. Put yourself out there
Meaning: Take a chance by being open, social, and willing to meet new people, even if it feels uncomfortable or scary. It’s about leaving your comfort zone. For example, joining a club, talking to strangers, or attending events alone is a way to put yourself out there and make friends.
Example: I was shy at first, but I decided to put myself out there and joined Maria’s hiking group in Portugal—and it changed everything.
10. A friend in need is a friend indeed
Meaning: This idiom means that a real or true friend is someone who stands by you and helps you when you are in trouble. Anyone can be friendly when things are easy, but a true friend shows care and support during difficult times. Their actions prove they are a genuine and loyal friend.
Example: When I lost my wallet in Prague, Daniel lent me money and helped me file a report—a friend in need is truly a friend indeed.
Read more: Top 7 Idioms for Best Friend You Should Know!
11. Bend over backwards (for someone)
Meaning: To make a big effort to help someone, even if it’s difficult or inconvenient for you. It shows you really care about the person’s comfort or happiness. For example, your host might bend over backwards to make sure you enjoy your stay in their country.
Example: Julia bent over backwards to help me find vegetarian food when I visited her in Poland.
12. Speak the same language
Meaning: ‘Speak the same language’ doesn’t always mean using the same spoken language. It means understanding each other easily because you share similar thoughts, feelings, or ways of thinking. Even if you come from different cultures, you might still “speak the same language” emotionally or mentally, making communication smooth and natural.
Example: Even though Alina and I barely spoke each other’s native languages, we just clicked because we spoke the same language emotionally.
Also Read: 13 English Proverbs on Friendship and Bond (with Meaning)
13. Be thick as thieves
Meaning: Be very close friends who trust each other and share secrets or personal things. It describes a strong friendship where two people do everything together and understand each other deeply. For example, if you and your study abroad buddy are always together, you’re thick as thieves.
Example: By the end of our semester in Canada, Raj and I were thick as thieves—we even had our own inside jokes.
14. Show someone the ropes
Meaning: Teach a person how to do something or help them understand how things work in a new place or situation. It’s often used when someone is new to a job, school, or country. For example, a senior student may show you the ropes on your first day abroad.
Example: Tom showed me the ropes during my internship in Dublin—everything from using the office coffee machine to navigating Irish slang.
Check out: A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed Idiom Meaning
15. Keep in touch
Meaning: Continue talking or communicating with someone even after you are no longer physically close or living in the same place. It shows that friendship or connection still matters. For example, after studying abroad, you might keep in touch with your friends through messages, emails, or video calls.
Example: Even after returning from Tokyo, I still keep in touch with Haruto through weekly video calls.
Idioms for Making Friends Abroad: Free PDF
Download idioms for making friends abroad below:
FAQs
Hang out in the mall.
When friends hang out, it suggests they are relaxing while having fun together. The mall (shopping centre) is an excellent spot to hang out and talk with your pals. Hang out is a phrasal verb, and separating the two words results in a distinct meaning, so keep them together.
Popular idioms about friendship include
– ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’
– ‘Birds of a feather flock together’
Get-together
Go along with
Go along/go along with
Go partners
Hang about/hang around/hang out
Idioms for making friends abroad are common English expressions that describe social situations, friendships, or ways people connect in a foreign country. Examples include ‘break the ice,’ ‘hit it off,’ and ‘get on like a house on fire.’
Learning these idioms helps you understand native speakers better, sound more natural, and connect easily in conversations. They are commonly used in everyday English and can help build better friendships abroad.
Related Reads
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