魚 (yú) - Fish — aquatic vertebrate animal with gills, fins, & used metaphorically for abundance, prosperity, and flexibility.

魚Tone 2

yú ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

咏与

魚 · yú

Fish — aquatic vertebrate animal with gills, fins, and scales;

used metaphorically for abundance, prosperity, and flexibility.

Fish — aquatic vertebrate animal with gills, fins,used metaphorically for abundance, prosperity, and flexibility.

Usage highlights

GoldfishFishingSharkFish marketFish scaleFish tank

Synonyms

  • 鱼— fish (general term)

Antonyms

  • 鸟— bird (air vs. water creature)
  • 兽— beast (land animal vs. aquatic animal)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I bought fresh fish at the market (鱼).
  • Goldfish are popular pets (金鱼).
  • We went fishing yesterday (钓鱼).
  • Shark is a type of large fish (鲨鱼).
  • Fish swim in schools (鱼群).

Collocations

  • Goldfish(金鱼)
  • Fishing(钓鱼)
  • Shark(鲨鱼)
  • Fish market(鱼市)
  • Fish scale(鱼鳞)
  • Fish tank(鱼缸)

Idioms

  • Like a fish in water(如鱼得水)
  • Fish and dragons mixed together(鱼龙混杂)
  • Fish eyes for pearls(鱼目混珠)
  • Sitting on a mountain watching tigers fight (坐山观虎斗) — originally about fish(鹬蚌相争，渔翁得利)
  • Too many fish to catch(鱼贯而入)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Fish symbolize abundance and prosperity in Chinese culture, as the word for fish (鱼 yú) sounds like the word for surplus (余 yú).
  • Fish are a traditional dish for Chinese New Year, representing wishes for prosperity in the coming year.
  • The koi fish is particularly symbolic of perseverance and success in Chinese culture.

FAQ