混水摸鱼 hún shuǐ mō yú

profit from chaos; exploit a messy situation

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency 64635th word

Definitions

  1. 1. to fish in troubled water (idiom); to take advantage of a crisis for personal gain
  2. 2. also written 渾水摸魚hún shuǐ mō yú

Characters

Character Meaning
混 hún HSK 6
to mix; to mingle; to muddle along
水 shuǐ HSK 1
water; liquid; beverage
摸 mō HSK 5
to touch; to feel with the hand; to stroke
鱼 yú HSK 2
fish; surname Yu