魚水之歡

Chinese

		intimate relationship; inseparability; fish sauce	's; him/her/it; this	joyous; happy; pleased
trad. (魚水之歡)		魚水	之	歡
simp. (鱼水之欢)		鱼水	之	欢
Literally: “the pleasure between fish and water; the pleasure of fish in water”.

Etymology

This idiom is from the Yuan-dynasty play Romance of the Western Chamber, although the metaphor itself existed long prior to that.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yúshuǐzhīhuān

(Zhuyin): ㄩˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄓㄏㄨㄢ
Cantonese (Jyutping): jyu⁴ seoi² zi¹ fun¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yúshuǐzhīhuān
  - Zhuyin: ㄩˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄓㄏㄨㄢ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yúshuěijhihhuan
  - Wade–Giles: yü²-shui³-chih¹-huan¹
  - Yale: yú-shwěi-jr̄-hwān
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yushoeijyhuan
  - Palladius: юйшуйчжихуань (jujšujčžixuanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /y³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ xu̯än⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)⁺
  - Jyutping: jyu⁴ seoi² zi¹ fun¹
  - Yale: yùh séui jī fūn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jy⁴ soey² dzi¹ fun¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: yu⁴ sêu² ji¹ fun¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyː²¹ sɵy̯³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ fuːn⁵⁵/

Idiom

魚水之歡

(euphemistic, figurative) the pleasure of close intimacy between a couple; (the pleasure of) sexual intercourse; harmonious and joyous life of a married couple