📖 Meaning
This idiom describes a harmonious and affectionate relationship between husband and wife, likened to the inseparable bond between fish and water. It conveys mutual dependence, warmth, and emotional unity. Traditionally used to praise a loving marital bond.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom derives from a line in the Yuan dynasty play *Wùrù Táoyuán* (误入桃源) by Wang Ziyi, where the fourth act describes a scene of marital bliss: 'Today the fish and water are harmonious, the swallows and orioles form pairs, and the lute and zither tune together.' The metaphor compares a couple's intimacy to the natural affinity between fish and the water they live in. It became a common expression for conjugal harmony in later literature.
💡 Example Usage
他们结婚多年依然鱼水和谐，令人羡慕。
Even after years of marriage, they remain as harmonious as fish and water, drawing admiration from all.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鱼水和谐
- Pinyin: yú shuǐ hé xié
- Literal Translation: fish, water, harmonious, coordinated
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4