wie ein Fisch im Wasser
in one's element; completely at ease and lively
Origin
Origin not reliably documented; the expression rests on the notion that a fish is especially lively and content in water - one rarely sees sick or sleeping fish, from which the impression of great vitality has crystallised.
Building blocks
Words in this expression
Grammar that uses this word
- Pronoun 'Sie' (you, formal, nominative)Pronomen 'Sie' (formell, Nominativ)
- Definite article 'den' (the, masculine, accusative)Bestimmter Artikel 'den' (maskulin, Akkusativ)
- Indefinite article 'einen' (a/an, masculine, accusative)Unbestimmter Artikel 'einen' (maskulin, Akkusativ)
- Present perfect with 'haben': sie/Sie haben … (participle)Perfekt mit 'haben': sie/Sie haben … Partizip II
- Pronoun 'er' (he/it, nominative)Pronomen 'er' (Nominativ)
- Pronoun 'wir' (we, nominative)Pronomen 'wir' (Nominativ)
Examples
Auf der bewegt sie sich wie ein im .
On stage she moves like a fish in water — completely in her element.