Como Pedro por su casa

/KOH-moh PEH-droh por soo KAH-sah/

To act with complete confidence and ease in an unfamiliar place, as if you own it. It can also mean to do something very easily.

Level:B2Register:InformalCommon:★★★★☆

💡 Understanding the Idiom

Literal Translation:

"Like Pedro through his house"

What It Really Means:

To act with complete confidence and ease in an unfamiliar place, as if you own it. It can also mean to do something very easily.

English Equivalents:

To walk in like you own the placeTo make oneself at homeWith consummate easeAs if one belongs there

🎨 Literal vs. Figurative

💭 Literal

Literally, this means 'Like Pedro through his house'.

✨ Figurative

Figuratively, it means to act with total confidence in a place that isn't yours.

Key Words in This Idiom:

📝 In Action

Llegó a la fiesta y empezó a servirse bebidas como Pedro por su casa, ¡sin conocer a nadie!

He arrived at the party and started serving himself drinks as if he owned the place, without knowing anyone!

No me gusta que mi cuñado venga y abra el refrigerador como Pedro por su casa.

I don't like it when my brother-in-law comes over and opens the fridge like he lives here.

La tenista ganó la final como Pedro por su casa, no le dio ninguna oportunidad a su rival.

The tennis player won the final with consummate ease, she didn't give her opponent any chance.

📜 Origin Story

This colorful phrase dates back to the 11th century. The story says that King Pedro I of Aragon conquered the city of Huesca in 1096. He supposedly entered the captured city with such confidence, authority, and lack of resistance that it was as if he were simply strolling into his own home. The image of his triumphant, easy entrance stuck, and now we use it to describe anyone who acts with that same level of nonchalant confidence.

⭐ Usage Tips

Confidence or Overconfidence?

Use this phrase to describe someone acting very comfortable in an unfamiliar place. The tone is key: it can be neutral (describing ease) or slightly negative, suggesting someone is being a bit too presumptuous or breaking social rules.

Not Just for People

While it's often about a person's behavior, you can also use it to describe a task or event. If a team wins a game effortlessly, you can say they won 'como Pedro por su casa'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Don't Confuse with 'Feeling at Home'

Mistake: "Using 'como Pedro por su casa' to express that you feel welcome and comfortable somewhere."

Correction: To say you feel welcome, the correct expression is 'sentirse como en casa'. 'Como Pedro por su casa' is about *acting* like you own the place, which is a different, more assertive (and potentially rude) concept.

🌎 Where It's Used

🇪🇸

Spain

Extremely common and a classic idiom, understood by everyone.

🌎

Latin America

Widely understood and used in many countries, though some may have local alternatives that are more common.

🔗 Related Idioms

↔️Similar Meanings

estar a sus anchas

To be at ease, to be in one's element

⇆Opposite Meanings

pisar sobre huevos

To walk on eggshells

no saber dónde meterse

To be so embarrassed you don't know where to look or what to do

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: Como Pedro por su casa

Question 1 of 1

If your friend enters a party 'como Pedro por su casa', how are they behaving?

🏷️ Tags

House & HomeSocial InteractionsCommonly Used

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'como Pedro por su casa' always negative?

Not always, but it often carries a slightly critical or humorous tone. If you say a surgeon performed a complex operation 'como Pedro por su casa', it's a compliment to their skill and ease. But if you say your neighbor walks into your kitchen 'como Pedro por su casa', you probably mean they are being a bit too familiar!