Unidiomatic

Describing language that does not conform to the natural or expected patterns and conventions of a particular language or dialect. It often sounds unnatural, awkward, or incorrect to native speakers because it violates the established rules of grammar, vocabulary usage, or phrasing. unidiomatic expressions can arise from direct translation from another language, literal interpretations of idioms, or simply from a lack of fluency. The core issue lies in the mismatch between the words used and the way a native speaker would typically express the same idea, leading to confusion or a sense of foreignness.

Unidiomatic meaning with examples

• The tourist's phrase, "I am needing water," while understandable, is unidiomatic English. Native speakers would say, "I need water" or "I'm thirsty." The direct translation from some other languages, where a verb construction is used for expressing a need is the source. The unnatural word order instantly flagged the speaker as a non-native.
• His attempt to sound formal led to highly unidiomatic sentences. Phrases such as "hitherto unknown by myself" and "in the event of a need for assistance" were stilted and awkward, reflecting a misunderstanding of how formal language is actually used in English. These sentences lacked the natural flow of standard written English.
• The software's user manual contained several unidiomatic translations. For example, the phrase "click the button into" instead of the correct "click the button on." This usage, presumably generated by machine translation, showed a poor understanding of common verbs used with prepositions. Such examples hinder usability.
• The young writer’s draft contained many unidiomatic phrasings. He used complex sentence structures in place of natural simplicity. Words were not paired with the intended meanings, causing a lack of clarity. Rewriting the draft made for smoother language.