preaching to the choir
arguing a point to people who already agree
In Spanish
arguing a point to people who already agree
Examples
- You're preaching to the choir — I've been making that case for months.
- Telling environmentalists to recycle more is preaching to the choir.
- Explaining the benefits of exercise to a fitness trainer is preaching to the choir.
When it's used
This idiom is mostly used in informal contexts, both spoken and written, when someone is emphasizing something that is already obvious to their audience. It's often heard in debates or discussions where the listeners do not need convincing because they already agree.
The common mistake
Spanish speakers sometimes say 'preaching to the chorus' instead of 'choir'. This is incorrect because in English it's 'choir', not 'chorus'.
Related idioms
FROM WHAT YOU READ TO WHAT YOU SAY
Recognising it isn't the same as using it
Reading an idiom and understanding it is step one. Dropping it into a conversation, at the right moment, without stopping to think, is another — and that only comes from speaking.
Practise speaking→