Set your heart on

Idioms | B2

Listening exercises with “Set your heart on”

If you set your heart on something or have your heart set on something, then you desperately want it, and it is deeply important to you that you get it or achieve it. e.g. Theresa has set her heart on getting a job as a pilot when she leaves university.

This expression communicates the idea that getting or achieving this thing is emotionally important to you – you will be very sad or disappointed if it doesn’t happen. In fact, a useful way of using this expression is to talk about someone not getting what they want. e.g. Poor little Michael was very upset because he had set his heart on getting a new bike for Christmas.

Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?

Accent: North America