Chinese word dictionary

临渊羡鱼

lín yuān xiàn yú · see 臨淵羨魚，不如退而結網|临渊羡鱼，不如退而结网[lin2 yuan1 xian4 yu2 , bu4 ru2 tui4 er2 jie2 wang3]

Practice word

Word information

Simplified临渊羡鱼

Traditional臨淵羨魚

Pinyinlín yuān xiàn yú

Part of speechDictionary

HSK 3.0Not listed

HSK 2.0Not listed

Character breakdown

Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.

临lín

to draw near, to approach; to descend

渊yuān

abyss, depth; to surge up, to bubble up

羡xiàn

to envy, to covet; to admire, to praise

鱼yú

fish

How to learn 临渊羡鱼

Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.

When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.

Related vocabulary

Words with the same characters

Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.

鱼yú

fish (CL:條|条[tiao2],尾[wei3]); used in the names of various aquatic animals that are not fish (including abalone 鮑魚|鲍鱼[bao4 yu2], alligators and crocodiles 鱷魚|鳄鱼[e4 yu2] and octopi 章魚|章鱼[zhang1 yu2]); surname Yu

羡慕xiànmù

to envy; to admire

光临guānglín

(formal) to honor with one's presence; to attend

临时línshí

as the time draws near; at the last moment; temporary; interim; ad hoc

面临miànlín

to face sth; to be confronted with

钓鱼diàoyú

to fish (with line and hook); to angle; (fig.) to entrap; (Tw) to repeatedly nod one's head while dozing