Signification
To feel completely at ease and comfortable in a situation.
Contexte culturel
In Spain, you might also hear 'estar en su salsa' (in one's sauce). It's very common in bars and social gatherings. Mexicans use this idiom frequently in professional settings to describe someone who is very 'pilas' (energetic/smart) and fits the job. In Argentina, while 'pez en el agua' is used, people also say 'como Pedro por su casa' to describe someone who is very comfortable in a place. Given the proximity to the sea, aquatic metaphors are very vivid. This phrase is often used to describe children who spend all day in the ocean.
Use it for confidence
This is a great phrase to use in interviews to show you are confident in your skills without sounding arrogant.
Pez vs Pescado
Never say 'pescado' in this idiom. A 'pescado' is dinner; a 'pez' is a swimmer!
Signification
To feel completely at ease and comfortable in a situation.
Use it for confidence
This is a great phrase to use in interviews to show you are confident in your skills without sounding arrogant.
Pez vs Pescado
Never say 'pescado' in this idiom. A 'pescado' is dinner; a 'pez' is a swimmer!
Combine with 'sentirse'
To sound more native, use 'me siento' instead of 'estoy' when talking about your internal emotions.
Teste-toi
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb 'estar'.
En la biblioteca, yo ______ como un pez en el agua.
We use 'estoy' because it matches the subject 'yo' and the idiom requires the verb 'estar'.
Which word is correct to complete the idiom?
Marta se siente como un ______ en el agua.
The idiom specifically uses 'pez' (fish).
Match the situation with the feeling.
Match the following:
All these people are in their natural or preferred environment.
Choose the best response for the dialogue.
—¿Te gusta tu nuevo trabajo de fotógrafo? —¡Sí! ________.
This is the only response that indicates being happy and comfortable in a new job.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesEn la biblioteca, yo ______ como un pez en el agua.
We use 'estoy' because it matches the subject 'yo' and the idiom requires the verb 'estar'.
Marta se siente como un ______ en el agua.
The idiom specifically uses 'pez' (fish).
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
All these people are in their natural or preferred environment.
—¿Te gusta tu nuevo trabajo de fotógrafo? —¡Sí! ________.
This is the only response that indicates being happy and comfortable in a new job.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsYes, but it's redundant for fish! You can use it for a dog in a park or a bird in the sky.
It's better for an interview or a cover letter. On a formal CV, use 'capacidad de adaptación' or 'competencia'.
It's a phonetic rule in Spanish. Nouns starting with a stressed 'a' use 'el' to avoid the sounds blending (la-agua).
The most common opposite is 'estar como un pulpo en un garaje' (like an octopus in a garage).
People will understand you, but the fixed idiom is 'en el agua'.
Yes, it is a universal idiom understood everywhere from Spain to Chile.
Absolutely. 'Ayer en la fiesta estuve como un pez en el agua'.
You can say 'No estoy como un pez en el agua', but it's more common to use a different idiom for discomfort.
The standard form uses 'un pez' (a fish).
Yes: 'Ellos están como un pez en el agua'.
Expressions liées
En su salsa
synonymIn one's sauce / in one's element.
Como Pedro por su casa
similarLike Pedro in his own house.
Estar en su elemento
synonymTo be in one's element.
Como un pulpo en un garaje
contrastLike an octopus in a garage.
