English as a foreign language is becoming more popular, and studies of it are becoming
more important. Collocations, which are common in ordinary English, are one essential subject to
consider. These structures are made up of words that are frequently combined with other words and
have a meaning that is not literal. Individuals who are studying English as a second language and
have acquired a specific level of competency were tested on their understanding of collocations in
this qualitative study. Even individuals who have mastered English have insufficient knowledge of
these structures; additionally, structures in the form noun + verb are more difficult to understand
than structures in the form noun + noun. This research provides recommendations for further study
of English as a foreign language.
Keywords: collocations, foreign language, meaning, figurative meaning, literal meaning