如鱼得水
如鱼得水 (rú yú dé shuǐ) literally means “fish finds water” and expresses “in perfect element”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving success and perseverance.
Also searched as: ru yu de shui, ru yu de shui,如鱼得水 meaning, 如鱼得水 in english
In perfect element
Pronunciation: rú yú dé shuǐ Literal meaning: Fish finds water
Origin & Usage
In the Records of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei answers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who were unhappy at how close he had grown to the newly recruited Zhuge Liang: 孤之有孔明，犹鱼之有水也 — my having Kongming is like a fish (鱼) having (得) water (水) — and asks them to say no more about it. The history puts the three of them as close as brothers; the sworn brotherhood everybody knows is the novel's addition, not the record's. The comparison is not about comfort but about necessity, since the fish does not merely enjoy the water. Somebody who has found the surroundings they were built for, said about a job as often as about a person.
Examples
English: "The experienced teacher in her new classroom was like a fish in water"
Chinese: 有经验的老师在新教室里如鱼得水
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about success & perseverance
鱼目混珠
yú mù hùn zhū
Passing fakes as genuine
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缘木求鱼
yuán mù qiú yú
Using completely wrong method for a task
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沉鱼落雁
chén yú luò yàn
Beauty so stunning it affects natural world
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各得其所
gè dé qí suǒ
Everything in right place
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水到渠成
shuǐ dào qú chéng
Success comes naturally
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滴水不漏
dī shuǐ bù lòu
Absolutely flawless and thorough
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近水楼台
jìn shuǐ lóu tái
Advantage from close connections
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明镜止水
míng jìng zhǐ shuǐ
Clear and calm mind
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 如鱼得水 mean in English?
如鱼得水 (rú yú dé shuǐ) literally translates to “Fish finds water” and is used to express “In perfect element”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Success & Perseverance category.
When is 如鱼得水 used?
Situation: The experienced teacher in her new classroom was like a fish in water
What is the pinyin for 如鱼得水?
The pinyin pronunciation for 如鱼得水 is “rú yú dé shuǐ”.
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