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China slang
'Touching fish' — slacking off at work or school while looking busy
Safe to use?
Usually safest with people who already understand the context.
Tone
Casual and context-dependent.
Region
China
Formality
Semi-informal; still use judgment.
Context Decoder
Check what it means in context, how it sounds and whether it is safe to use.
mo yu (摸鱼) means 'Touching fish' — slacking off at work or school while looking busy. It is best read as china slang associated with China.
"mo yu (摸鱼)" means 'Touching fish' — slacking off at work or school while looking busy. In China, the nuance may be more specific.
"Boss is in a meeting, time to 摸鱼."
Casual and context-dependent.
Usually safest with people who already understand the context.
Context-dependent
'I love you' in Chinese number slang; 20 May is an unofficial online Valentine's Day
'Awesome', 'skilful', 'smooth' — hype in comments and livestreams
'Let it rot' — giving up and embracing a bad situation instead of fixing it
'Absolutely amazing' (or absolutely terrible, used sarcastically)
'Involution' — exhausting, pointless over-competition where everyone works harder but n...
'Ox and horse' — self-mocking term for overworked employees who toil like beasts of burden
From the idiom 浑水摸鱼 (fishing in troubled waters).
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