المعنى
Being in a difficult situation.
خلفية ثقافية
Denmark has over 7,000 km of coastline. Swimming is a mandatory part of the school curriculum, so the metaphor of 'deep water' is something every Dane understands physically from a young age. Danish work culture is very non-hierarchical. It is socially acceptable, and even encouraged, to tell your boss you are 'på dybt vand' if a task is too hard. This prevents major errors. The Vikings and later Danish merchants relied on the sea. Many Danish idioms (like 'at være i samme båd' - to be in the same boat) come from this seafaring history. In Danish political commentary, journalists often use this phrase to describe politicians who cannot answer tough questions during live debates.
Use it for humility
Danes appreciate honesty. Saying 'Jeg er lidt på dybt vand her' is a great way to ask for help politely.
Preposition Alert
Never say 'i dybt vand' unless you are literally swimming in the ocean. The idiom always uses 'på'.
المعنى
Being in a difficult situation.
Use it for humility
Danes appreciate honesty. Saying 'Jeg er lidt på dybt vand her' is a great way to ask for help politely.
Preposition Alert
Never say 'i dybt vand' unless you are literally swimming in the ocean. The idiom always uses 'på'.
Combine with 'helt'
Adding 'helt' (completely) makes it sound much more natural: 'Jeg er helt på dybt vand'.
The 'Bunde' connection
If you want to say you finally understand something, you can say 'Nu kan jeg bunde' (Now I can touch the bottom).
اختبر نفسك
Vælg den rigtige præposition.
Jeg føler mig ___ dybt vand.
Selvom man er 'i' vandet, så siger man altid 'på' dybt vand i dette idiom.
Udfyld det manglende ord i idiomet.
Da chefen spurgte om budgettet, kom jeg på ___ vand.
Adjektivet skal være 'dybt', fordi 'vand' er et intetkønsord (et vand).
Hvilken situation passer bedst til idiomet?
Hvilken person er 'på dybt vand'?
Idiomet bruges om en person, der har en opgave, de ikke kan klare.
Færdiggør dialogen.
A: Kan du hjælpe mig med at reparere bilen? B: Nej, desværre. Når det kommer til motorer, er jeg ___.
B bruger idiomet til at forklare, at han ikke har forstand på motorer.
🎉 النتيجة: /4
وسائل تعلم بصرية
Vand-idiomer
بنك التمارين
4 تمارينJeg føler mig ___ dybt vand.
Selvom man er 'i' vandet, så siger man altid 'på' dybt vand i dette idiom.
Da chefen spurgte om budgettet, kom jeg på ___ vand.
Adjektivet skal være 'dybt', fordi 'vand' er et intetkønsord (et vand).
Hvilken person er 'på dybt vand'?
Idiomet bruges om en person, der har en opgave, de ikke kan klare.
A: Kan du hjælpe mig med at reparere bilen? B: Nej, desværre. Når det kommer til motorer, er jeg ___.
B bruger idiomet til at forklare, at han ikke har forstand på motorer.
🎉 النتيجة: /4
الأسئلة الشائعة
10 أسئلةNo, it is almost always negative or neutral, indicating a struggle or lack of ability.
It can be. It's better to use it about yourself. If you say it about someone else, it implies they are incompetent.
'På dybt vand' is about being overwhelmed by difficulty. 'På glatis' is about being in a situation where you are likely to make a mistake or be tricked.
Yes, 'Jeg var på dybt vand' is very common when telling stories about past mistakes.
Yes, very frequently. It's a standard way to describe project challenges.
Because 'vand' is a neuter noun (et vand), so the adjective must take the -t ending.
Yes, younger people might say 'Jeg er helt væk' or 'Jeg sejler', but 'på dybt vand' is understood by everyone.
No, that sounds like you are literally in a swimming pool. Stick to the idiomatic form.
Not necessarily, but it implies that you are at risk of failing if something doesn't change.
It is in the top 200 most common Danish idioms. You will hear it weekly if you live in Denmark.
عبارات ذات صلة
at have taget sig vand over hovedet
synonymTo have taken on more than one can handle.
at komme på glatis
similarTo be on thin ice / to be in a tricky situation.
at svømme mod strømmen
contrastTo go against the grain / current.
at kunne bunde
contrastTo be able to reach the bottom / to understand.
at holde hovedet oven vande
builds onTo keep one's head above water.
