Chinese idiom · 成语
釜底游鱼
Meaning
A fish swimming in a cauldron; in imminent danger.
Character by character
Origin and story
Historical accountThe underlying comparison appears in the Hou Han Shu's biography of Zhang Gang. The rebel leader Zhang Ying describes people driven by oppressive officials to gather in resistance. Their survival, he says, is like fish swimming in a cooking pot: they can breathe for a little while but cannot expect lasting safety. Zhang Gang's assurances persuade him and his followers to surrender.
The source wording is 若鱼游釜中, not the later reordered expression 釜底游鱼. This is a human speaker's metaphor for a desperate position, not a fable about a fish failing to notice warming water. The image emphasizes confinement and imminent danger.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
公司现金已经用完，如果贷款再不到，我们就成了釜底游鱼。
The company has run out of cash; if the loan doesn't arrive soon, we'll be trapped in a desperate situation.
An emphatic metaphor for imminent ruin or danger, not a minor inconvenience.