sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng: 三天打鱼，两天晒网 - To work by fits and starts, Inconsistent

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• Summary: Discover the meaning of the Chinese idiom (chengyu) sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng (三天打鱼，两天晒网). This popular saying, literally “three days fishing, two days drying the nets,” vividly describes someone who works inconsistently, lacks perseverance, or frequently slacks off. This page will break down its meaning, cultural importance, and show you how to use it in everyday conversation to talk about procrastination, inconsistent efforts in studying or work, and the cultural value China places on persistence.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng
• Part of Speech: Idiom (成语, chéngyǔ)
• HSK Level: HSK 5 / HSK 6 (Commonly Taught)
• Concise Definition: To work intermittently; to lack perseverance and consistency in an effort.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine a fisherman who only works for three days before taking two days off to dry his fishing nets. While resting is important, this 50% work, 50% idle cycle means he'll never be very successful. This idiom perfectly captures that feeling of starting something with enthusiasm but quickly losing steam, leading to poor results. It's a common, and often gentle, criticism of an inconsistent or undisciplined approach to a task.

This idiom paints a very literal and memorable picture.

• 三 (sān): The number three.
• 天 (tiān): Day.
• 打 (dǎ): To hit or strike. In this context, 打鱼 (dǎ yú) is a set phrase meaning “to go fishing” or “to catch fish.”
• 鱼 (yú): Fish.
• 两 (liǎng): The number two (used here instead of 二 (èr) because it's followed by a measure word, 天).
• 天 (tiān): Day.
• 晒 (shài): To dry in the sun, to bask.
• 网 (wǎng): Net.

The characters combine to mean: “Three days catching fish, two days drying the net.” This creates a clear image of a 5-day cycle where productive work is only done for three of those days. The core meaning isn't about the act of fishing itself, but the unproductive, start-and-stop work ethic it represents.

The idiom 三天打鱼，两天晒网 is deeply rooted in the Chinese cultural emphasis on diligence, persistence, and enduring hardship.

• The Value of Perseverance (坚持 jiānchí): Chinese culture, influenced by Confucian values, places a high premium on 坚持 (jiānchí - persistence) and 吃苦 (chīkǔ - to endure hardship). Success is widely seen as the result of slow, steady, and unwavering effort over a long period. This idiom serves as a cultural shorthand to criticize the lack of this virtue. It implies that sporadic bursts of effort, no matter how intense, are less valuable than consistent, daily work.
• Comparison to Western Concepts: In the West, we might say someone “works in fits and starts” or “blows hot and cold.” While similar, 三天打鱼，两天晒网 is more visual and less about a change in opinion (“blowing hot and cold”) and more about a lazy or undisciplined work ethic. It's very similar to the “New Year's Resolution” phenomenon: someone buys a gym membership, goes religiously for two weeks, and then their attendance becomes sporadic before stopping altogether. This is a perfect example of 三天打鱼，两天晒网.

This is a very common idiom used in a variety of informal and semi-formal situations. Its connotation is almost always negative, serving as a form of criticism or self-deprecation.

• In Education: A teacher might say this to a student whose grades are fluctuating: “Your study habits are a classic case of 'three days fishing, two days drying the nets.' You need to be more consistent.”
• In the Workplace: A manager might use this to gently admonish an employee who isn't making steady progress on a long-term project. “We can't afford to 三天打鱼，两天晒网 on this account; we need daily progress.”
• For Personal Habits: This is frequently used among friends or for self-criticism. Someone might say, “I'm trying to learn guitar, but honestly, I just 三天打鱼，两天晒网,” admitting their lack of discipline.
• On Social Media: A fitness influencer might post, “Don't 三天打鱼，两天晒网! Consistency is key to seeing results!”

• Example 1:
  • 他学中文总是三天打鱼，两天晒网，所以进步很慢。
  • Pinyin: Tā xué Zhōngwén zǒngshì sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng, suǒyǐ jìnbù hěn màn.
  • English: He's always so inconsistent with his Chinese studies, so his progress is very slow.
  • Analysis: A classic use case. It perfectly describes a student who studies hard for a few days, then takes a few days off, hindering their overall progress.
• Example 2:
  • 你不能这样三天打鱼，两天晒网地工作，老板会生气的。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ bùnéng zhèyàng sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng de gōngzuò, lǎobǎn huì shēngqì de.
  • English: You can't work so inconsistently like this; the boss will get angry.
  • Analysis: Here, the idiom is used as an adverbial phrase with `地 (de)` to describe the manner of working. This is a very common structure.
• Example 3:
  • 我对自己说，这次去健身房决不能再三天打鱼，两天晒网了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ duì zìjǐ shuō, zhècì qù jiànshēnfáng jué bùnéng zài sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng le.
  • English: I told myself that this time going to the gym, I absolutely cannot be inconsistent again.
  • Analysis: This is an example of self-criticism and making a resolution. The speaker is acknowledging their past bad habits.
• Example 4:
  • 做任何事情，最忌讳的就是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
  • Pinyin: Zuò rèn-hé shìqing, zuì jìhuì de jiùshì sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng.
  • English: When doing anything, the biggest taboo is to be inconsistent.
  • Analysis: This sentence frames the idiom as a piece of general wisdom or advice. `忌讳 (jìhuì)` means “taboo”.
• Example 5:
  • 她对这个项目的热情就是三天打鱼，两天晒网，一开始很积极，现在根本不管了。
  • Pinyin: Tā duì zhège xiàngmù de rèqíng jiùshì sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng, yī kāishǐ hěn jījí, xiànzài gēnběn bù guǎn le.
  • English: Her enthusiasm for this project is totally sporadic; she was very proactive at the beginning, and now she doesn't care about it at all.
  • Analysis: This connects the idiom to a person's fluctuating level of `热情 (rèqíng)` - enthusiasm or passion.
• Example 6:
  • 如果你继续三天打鱼，两天晒网，你永远也写不完你的小说。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ jìxù sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng, nǐ yǒngyuǎn yě xiě bù wán nǐ de xiǎoshuō.
  • English: If you continue to work by fits and starts, you'll never finish your novel.
  • Analysis: A clear cause-and-effect warning, showing the negative consequences of this behavior.
• Example 7:
  • 别三天打鱼，两天晒网了，我们得坚持下去才能成功。
  • Pinyin: Bié sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng le, wǒmen děi jiānchí xiàqù cáinéng chénggōng.
  • English: Stop being so inconsistent, we have to persevere in order to succeed.
  • Analysis: A direct command using `别 (bié - don't)`, followed by the solution: `坚持 (jiānchí - to persevere)`.
• Example 8:
  • 他这个三天打鱼，两天晒网的毛病得改改。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhège sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng de máobìng děi gǎi gǎi.
  • English: He needs to fix this bad habit of his of being inconsistent.
  • Analysis: This example treats the behavior as a `毛病 (máobìng)`, which means a “fault,” “shortcoming,” or “bad habit.”
• Example 9:
  • 我知道我不该三天打鱼，两天晒网，但是我就是没有自制力。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zhīdào wǒ bù gāi sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng, dànshì wǒ jiùshì méiyǒu zìzhìlì.
  • English: I know I shouldn't be so inconsistent, but I just don't have any self-control.
  • Analysis: An admission of fault, linking the idiom to a lack of `自制力 (zìzhìlì - self-control)`.
• Example 10:
  • 这种三天打鱼，两天晒网的态度是做不成大事的。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng sān tiān dǎ yú, liǎng tiān shài wǎng de tàidù shì zuò bù chéng dàshì de.
  • English: This kind of inconsistent attitude will prevent you from accomplishing anything great.
  • Analysis: Links the idiom directly to one's `态度 (tàidù - attitude)`, showing it's a mindset issue. `做不成大事 (zuò bù chéng dàshì)` means “can't accomplish big things.”

• It's a Metaphor, Not Literal: A common beginner mistake is to think this applies to actual fishermen. It is used 100% figuratively to describe any task that requires sustained effort: studying, working, exercising, learning an instrument, etc.
• vs. Procrastination (拖延 tuōyán): This idiom is often confused with “procrastination,” but they are different.
  • Procrastination (拖延症 tuōyánzhèng): Delaying the *start* of a task. (e.g., “I'll do my homework tomorrow.”)
  • 三天打鱼，两天晒网: Starting a task but failing to work on it *consistently*. (e.g., “I did homework on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but then I didn't touch it on Thursday or Friday.”)

A person can procrastinate but then work very hard and consistently once they start. This idiom is specifically about the stop-and-go pattern of work.

• Incorrect Usage:
  • Wrong: `我昨天忘了做作业，真是三天打鱼，两天晒网。` (I forgot to do my homework yesterday, I'm so inconsistent.)
  • Why it's wrong: Forgetting for one day isn't a pattern. The idiom requires a sense of a repeated cycle of work and neglect.
  • Correct: `我这个月只练习了五天钢琴，真是三天打鱼，两天晒网。` (I only practiced piano for 5 days this month, I'm so inconsistent.) This implies a pattern of neglect over a longer period.

• 半途而废 (bàn tú ér fèi) - To give up halfway. This is a strong synonym, but it implies stopping a task completely, not just working on it intermittently.
• 虎头蛇尾 (hǔ tóu shé wěi) - “Tiger head, snake tail.” To start something with great enthusiasm and effort but finish it weakly or poorly. Similar, but focuses on the decline in quality/effort rather than the inconsistent schedule.
• 坚持不懈 (jiān chí bù xiè) - To persevere unremittingly. The direct antonym, describing someone who never gives up.
• 持之以恒 (chí zhī yǐ héng) - To persevere; to do something with constancy. Another direct antonym emphasizing consistent, long-term effort.
• 有始有终 (yǒu shǐ yǒu zhōng) - “To have a start and have a finish.” An antonym meaning to see things through from beginning to end; to be responsible and complete one's work.
• 三天两头 (sān tiān liǎng tóu) - “Three days, two ends.” A “false friend” due to the similar structure. This idiom means “very frequently” or “almost every other day.” (e.g., `他三天两头就迟到` - He is late very frequently.) It describes high frequency, which is the opposite of the neglect implied by `三天打鱼，两天晒网`.
• 拖延症 (tuō yán zhèng) - Procrastination (lit. “delaying disease”). The related concept of delaying tasks, as explained in the Nuances section.