‘摸鱼’ (mō yú) literally means ‘to catch fish’, but as an idiom it means to slack off, shirk responsibilities, or waste time at work or school—often by doing unrelated things like browsing social media or chatting online. The imagery comes from the idea of sneaking away to fish during work hours, suggesting quiet, sly avoidance of duty.

This slang term is widely used in informal spoken and written Chinese, especially among young professionals and students. It carries a lighthearted, self-deprecating tone rather than strong criticism—people often say ‘我在摸鱼’ (I’m slacking off) jokingly to admit a brief mental break. While not inherently negative, frequent ‘摸鱼’ can imply poor time management. It’s commonly paired with time markers (e.g., ‘上班摸鱼’, ‘课间摸鱼’) or verbs like ‘偷偷’ (secretly) or ‘又’ (again) to emphasize repetition or stealth.