B2 idiom Neutral #13,567 am häufigsten

burn the midnight oil

/bɜːrn ðə ˈmɪdnaɪt ɔɪl/

To work or study late into the night, typically to complete a specific task or meet a deadline. It implies a high level of effort or necessity during hours when most people are asleep.

Beispiele

3 von 5
1

I'll have to burn the midnight oil to finish this report by tomorrow morning.

I will need to work very late tonight to complete this document for tomorrow.

2

The legal team was prepared to burn the midnight oil to review the contract.

The lawyers were ready to work through the night to check the agreement.

3

Sorry I missed your call; I was burning the midnight oil on a project.

I missed your call because I was working late at night.

Wortfamilie

Verb
burn the midnight oil
Verwandt
night owl
💡

Merkhilfe

Visualize a scholar from the 1700s sitting in a dark room, working by the light of a small oil lamp long after the sun has set.

Schnelles Quiz

If we want to finish this project by Friday, we'll have to _____ the midnight oil tonight.

Richtig!

Die richtige Antwort ist: b

Beispiele

1

I'll have to burn the midnight oil to finish this report by tomorrow morning.

everyday

I will need to work very late tonight to complete this document for tomorrow.

2

The legal team was prepared to burn the midnight oil to review the contract.

formal

The lawyers were ready to work through the night to check the agreement.

3

Sorry I missed your call; I was burning the midnight oil on a project.

informal

I missed your call because I was working late at night.

4

Many PhD candidates burn the midnight oil while writing their dissertations.

academic

Many doctoral students stay up late working on their long research papers.

5

The marketing department is burning the midnight oil to prepare for the product launch.

business

The marketing team is working extra hours at night for the new product release.

Wortfamilie

Verb
burn the midnight oil
Verwandt
night owl

Häufige Kollokationen

have to burn the midnight oil being required to work late
continue to burn the midnight oil keep working into the night
start burning the midnight oil begin a session of late-night work
forced to burn the midnight oil compelled by circumstances to stay up late
burning the midnight oil for exams studying late at night for tests

Häufige Phrasen

work around the clock

to work all day and night

burn the candle at both ends

to work too hard and exhaust oneself

late-night session

a period of activity late at night

Wird oft verwechselt mit

burn the midnight oil vs burn the candle at both ends

This refers to exhausting oneself by being busy from early morning until late night, while 'burn the midnight oil' specifically focuses on nighttime work.

📝

Nutzungshinweise

This idiom is most frequently used in professional and academic settings. It treats 'burn' as the main verb, which can be conjugated into different tenses.

⚠️

Häufige Fehler

Do not confuse the phrase by saying 'burn the night oil' or 'burn the midnight candle'. The 'oil' is a fixed part of the idiom.

💡

Merkhilfe

Visualize a scholar from the 1700s sitting in a dark room, working by the light of a small oil lamp long after the sun has set.

📖

Wortherkunft

This phrase originated before the invention of electricity, when people literally had to use oil-burning lamps to see and work after dark.

Grammatikmuster

The verb 'burn' is conjugated normally (e.g., burned, burning, has burnt). It is usually used as an intransitive verb phrase (no object follows 'oil').
🌍

Kultureller Kontext

Reflects the cultural emphasis on diligence and hard work as a path to success in many English-speaking professional environments.

Schnelles Quiz

If we want to finish this project by Friday, we'll have to _____ the midnight oil tonight.

Richtig!

Die richtige Antwort ist: b

Verwandte Redewendungen

War das hilfreich?
Noch keine Kommentare. Sei der Erste, der seine Gedanken teilt!

Starte kostenlos mit dem Sprachenlernen

Kostenlos Loslegen