A2 Colloquial Control

„Er hat sie unter dem Daumen."

He has her under his thumb.

Er hat sie unter dem Daumen. — German idiom meaning: He has her under his thumb. (A2)
Er hat sie unter dem Daumen. — German idiom reference | DeuTale

What does „Er hat sie unter dem Daumen." mean in German?

„Er hat sie unter dem Daumen." means "He has her under his thumb.." Literally: "He has her under the thumb.."

Literal Translation

"He has her under the thumb."

Er He
hat has
sie her
unter under
dem the
Daumen thumb

English Equivalent

"He has her under his thumb."

This English idiom conveys the same meaning as the German expression.

Grammar Notes

Cf. Sie hat ihn unter dem Pantoffel.

When is this idiom used?

Colloquial

This expression is used in everyday spoken German in casual and semi-formal settings.

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