Updated July 2026
What does 摸鱼 mean?
摸鱼 (mō yú) means to slack off / goof off at work in work Chinese slang. Slacking off on the clock — looking busy while doing nothing. The daily resistance of the 打工人. Literally, it means "to grope for fish".
Character breakdown
to grope / feel around for
fish
Hear it explained
A 30-second take on 摸鱼 — what it means, where it came from, and how to use it.
The sacred art of looking busy while doing absolutely nothing at work has a name: 摸鱼, mō yú — groping for fish. From an old saying about fishing in muddy water. 老板不在，赶紧摸鱼. Every office worker's quiet daily resistance.
Example
老板不在，赶紧摸鱼。
Lǎobǎn bù zài, gǎnjǐn mō yú.
The boss is out — quick, time to slack off.
What 摸鱼 goes with
Where 摸鱼 comes from
From the idiom 浑水摸鱼 (to fish in troubled waters). Office workers clipped it to 摸鱼 for quietly slacking while appearing productive.
Related slang
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