Hanzi Now
CharactersIdiomsChinese NameFlashcards
Tools

Visual content

  • Chinese Text Image GeneratorCreate PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
  • Stroke Order AnimatorTurn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
  • Character Highlight AnimatorChoose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
  • Chinese Text Morph AnimatorTurn one Chinese character, word or phrase into another; download SVG, MP4 or WebM

Audio content

  • Chinese Text to SpeechRead Chinese aloud with karaoke highlighting

Teaching materials

  • Writing WorksheetsPrintable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
  • Bingo CardsPicture and word Bingo for your class
  • Picture WorksheetsChinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets

Other

  • Pinyin GeneratorConvert Chinese text to pinyin with tone marks
  • Chinese Zodiac CalculatorFind your animal sign from your birth date and make a zodiac card.
  • Chinese Word CounterCount characters, words and sentences in Chinese text
View all tools →
鱼龙混杂
鱼龙混杂
鱼龙混杂
鱼龙混杂
鱼龙混杂
鱼龙混杂
鱼龙混杂
鱼龙混杂

鱼龙混杂 — “A motley crowd”

鱼龙混杂 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a motley crowd”. A mixed bag of people, where good and bad are intermingled; a jumble of good and bad elements. Literally, “Fish and dragons mixed together”.

Frequency

鱼龙混杂 Pronunciation and Pinyin

鱼龙混杂 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order
CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
鱼
yú8aquatic vertebrate with gills and fins
龙
lóng5mythical divine creature
混
hùn11mix, muddle, or confuse
杂
zá6mixed, miscellaneous, disordered

Example Sentence with 鱼龙混杂

这个市场上,商品种类繁多,但质量也是鱼龙混杂,购买时需要仔细辨别。
In this market, there is a wide variety of goods, but the quality is also a mixed bag, so you need to carefully distinguish when purchasing.

Origin and Story of 鱼龙混杂

During the Spring and Autumn period, Wu Zixu, whose father and elder brother were killed by King Ping of Chu, fled to the State of Wu.

He told King Helü of Wu that in Chu, right and wrong were indistinguishable, good and bad were inversed, and people were a mixed lot, like fish and dragons. He incited King Helü to attack Chu.

Wu Zixu led the army to five victories, eventually reaching Yingdu, the capital of Chu. King Ping of Chu had already died, but to avenge his father's death, Wu Zixu exhumed the king's corpse and flogged it.

Idioms Related to 鱼龙混杂

Synonyms of 鱼龙混杂

  • làn滥yú竽chōng充shù数pretend to be what one is not
  • yú鱼mù目hùn混zhū珠pass off fake as genuine

Antonyms of 鱼龙混杂

  • jīng泾wèi渭fēn分míng明clearly demarcated
  • hēi黑bái白fēn分míng明clearly distinguish right from wrong

More idioms starting with 鱼

  • yú鱼yǔ与xióng熊zhǎng掌two desirable but unobtainable things
  • yú鱼shū书yàn雁xìn信letters and correspondence
  • yú鱼shū书yàn雁tiě帖letters and correspondence
  • yú鱼shū书yàn雁bó帛Letters or correspondence
  • yú鱼chuán传chǐ尺sù素send a love letter
  • yú鱼shēng升lóng龙mén门Achieve great success or rise to high position
  • yú鱼xiàn县niǎo鸟cuàn窜precarious and vulnerable situation
  • yú鱼dà大shuǐ水xiǎo小too many demands for too few resources
  • yú鱼fēng封yàn雁tiē帖letters and correspondence
  • yú鱼wěi尾yàn雁xíng行military or naval V-formation
  • yú鱼bó帛hú狐shēng声Fabricate omens to manipulate public opinion
  • yú鱼bó帛hú狐gōu篝Fabricate omens to manipulate public opinion

Recommended tools

Stroke Order Animator

Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4

Open the tool →

Bingo Cards

Picture and word Bingo for your class

Open the tool →

Picture Worksheets

Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets

Open the tool →

Writing Worksheets

Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion

Open the tool →

Questions about 鱼龙混杂

What does 鱼龙混杂 mean?

鱼龙混杂 (yú lóng hùn zá) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a motley crowd”.

How do you pronounce 鱼龙混杂?

鱼龙混杂 is pronounced yú lóng hùn zá in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 鱼龙混杂 literally mean?

Literally, 鱼龙混杂 means “Fish and dragons mixed together”. It is used to mean “a motley crowd”.

Where does 鱼龙混杂 come from?

鱼龙混杂 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 鱼龙混杂?

比喻坏人和好人混在一起。

Hanzi Now

Explore the charm of Chinese language

Explore

  • Characters
  • Idioms
  • Chinese Names
  • Flashcards

Tools

  • Chinese Text Image Generator
  • Stroke Order Animator
  • Character Highlight Animator
  • Bingo Cards
  • Picture Worksheets
  • All Tools

More

  • Blog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
© 2026 Hanzi NowContact Us