By Heart – Meaning and Examples
Do you know the words to your favorite song so well that you don’t even need to read them? When you have information stored perfectly in your memory, we say you know it by heart.
This idiom is essential for talking about deep memory and memorization. Let’s learn how to use by heart to describe perfect recall!
What Does “By Heart” Mean?
“By heart” means to have memorized something completely, word for word, usually because you have studied it intensely or heard it many times. It implies a strong connection to the memory, as the heart is often associated with deep feeling and recall.
Think of the pledge of allegiance or a poem you learned as a child. You don’t need to think; the words come out automatically. That is knowing something by heart.
The phrase is used figuratively to describe perfect memory, not physical knowledge.
When to Use It
Use this phrase in neutral or casual conversations when talking about memorized information:
- Music and Poetry: Knowing the lyrics or verses perfectly.
- Academic Study: Memorizing equations, historical dates, or legal texts.
- Familiar Information: Knowing your best friend’s phone number or your home address automatically.
This phrase is neutral and can be used in almost any situation.
Example Sentences
- My daughter knows all the lines from her school play by heart.
- The waiter has worked here so long that he knows the entire menu by heart.
- I don’t need to check my phone; I know your number by heart.
- Students need to know by heart the chemical symbols for the test.
Mini Dialogue
Alex: “I can never remember the directions to your new house.”
Jamie: “Just drive them a few times. You will soon know the route by heart.”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Do not confuse know by heart (to memorize completely) with “learn about” (to gain general knowledge). Know by heart implies perfect, exact recall.
❌ Don’t say: “I know by heart the French culture.” (Use “know a lot about” instead.)
✅ Do say: “I know by heart the entire speech.” (Correct use for perfect memorization.)
Practice Tip
Choose three important English phrases you want to use every day. Write them down and repeat them until you know them by heart.
Final Note
You’ve mastered another great idiom! Now you can use by heart to talk about everything you have perfectly memorized.
Keep studying! Once you know an idiom by heart, you will never forget it!
