钓鱼

• Pinyin: diào yú
• Hanzi breakdown: 钓 = 钅(metal, hook) + 勺 (ladle-like shape; the hook used in fishing); 鱼 = pictograph of a fish

Meaning

To fish; to go fishing with a rod and line. Figuratively, to lure or entrap someone, especially through deceptive schemes.

In its literal sense, riverside fishing is a popular leisure activity across all age groups in China. Figuratively, 钓鱼 describes entrapping someone — most commonly in 钓鱼网站 (phishing websites), where fraudsters impersonate legitimate services to steal user data. Both meanings are widely used.

Examples

1. 退休后，他最大的乐趣便是每天清晨带着鱼竿去河边钓鱼，享受宁静悠然的田园生活。 After retiring, his greatest pleasure was taking his fishing rod to the river every morning and enjoying a calm, easygoing life.
2. 网络诈骗分子搭建了大量钓鱼网站，伪装成正规银行页面，诱骗用户填写个人账户信息。 Online scammers set up large numbers of phishing sites disguised as legitimate bank pages to trick users into entering their account information.
3. 两人从年轻时便约好一起钓鱼，几十年来风雨无阻，这个习惯成了他们友情最温暖的见证。 They promised when they were young to go fishing together, and for decades they kept it up rain or shine—a warm testament to their friendship.

Usage Guide

Context: leisure, cybersecurity, everyday speech, fraud

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他利用假冒客服身份实施钓鱼行为，骗取了大量用户的账户密码，最终被警方依法逮捕。(He used a fake customer service identity to carry out phishing attacks, stealing the account passwords of many users, and was ultimately arrested by police in accordance with the law.)
• 周末有空来钓鱼吧，这条河里的鱼特别多，保证让你大有收获。(Come fishing with me this weekend if you're free — this river is full of fish, I promise you'll have a great haul.)

Don't Say

• 我用网钓鱼 — use 捕鱼 or 网鱼 for net fishing; 钓鱼 specifically implies fishing with a rod and hook, not cast nets or traps

Origin & History

钓 (to fish with a hook and rod; figuratively to lure) + 鱼 (fish)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal