What does “trust your gut” mean in English?

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A2 English listening practice · English · Picked for people who know a little

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trust your gut
English everyday idiom
follow your feelings, not just your head — do what feels right inside

When you “trust your gut,” you listen to a strong feeling inside you. Your gut feeling is not a plan. It is not a reason. It is just a deep sense that something is right or wrong. In the video, a travel tip says: “Trust your gut. Your instincts will kick in if something’s not right.” This is very common advice in English. You can use it any time you make a decision.

Your “gut” is your stomach, but in this idiom it means your body’s natural feeling about a situation. Similar phrases are “go with your gut” and “follow your instincts.” For example: “I trusted my gut and left the party early — it was the right choice.” This phrase is informal and is used in conversations with friends, family, and in self-help content. You would not use it in a formal email or job interview.

How common are the words?

How common are the words in this A2 English listening practice video?

87.7%
of words are in the top 2,000 most common English words
Most of the words in this video are common English words.

How common in written English

78.7%
Top 1,000
87.7%
Top 2,000
93.4%
Top 5,000

How common in spoken English

84.8%
Top 1,000
92%
Top 2,000
100%
Top 5,000

Harder words in this video

These words are harder than A2. Here is what they mean.

doesn
2×
Not in top 5,000People say this a lot
does not (informal)

Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-US 2012 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.

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