钓鱼(diào yú) - to go fishing in Mandarin

钓鱼 (diào yú) means to go fishing, literally "to hook (钓, diào) fish (鱼, yú)". It describes a relaxed, everyday pastime rather than commercial fishing.

Like other verb-object compounds, the two halves can separate: 钓了一条鱼 (diào le yì tiáo yú), "caught a fish", puts the measure word and noun straight after the verb. 钓鱼 (diào yú) itself stays together when there is nothing to insert between the two parts.

Grandparents taking grandchildren fishing by a river or lake is a common scene in Mandarin textbooks and in real life, so expect 钓鱼 (diào yú) to turn up in family and leisure contexts.