take to something like a duck to water
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: like a duck to water
Meaning · English
To learn or adapt to something new naturally and easily.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Học hoặc thích nghi với điều gì đó mới một cách tự nhiên và dễ dàng
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Literally: The way a duck enters water without needing to learn.
How to use it
✓ Use it when
Praising a natural fit between a person and an activity.
Register: neutralConnotation: approvingEra: 19th century – present
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
She took to coding like a duck to water.
Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “take to something like a duck to water” mean?
To learn or adapt to something new naturally and easily. Literally: The way a duck enters water without needing to learn.
Is “take to something like a duck to water” formal or informal?
take to something like a duck to water is generally neutral; connotation: approving.
What is the closest equivalent?
“như cá gặp nước” (Tiếng Việt) — direct equivalent.