Key HSK Vocabulary
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 未经 | wèi jīng | not having undergone, without | HSK 7 | |
| 授权 | shòu quán | empower, authorize | HSK 7 | |
| 氧气 | yǎng qì | oxygen, oxygen gas | HSK 6 | |
| 靠近 | kào jìn | near, close to | HSK 5 | |
| 正版 | zhèng bǎn | genuine version, authorized version | HSK 5 | |
| 窗户 | chuāng hu | window | HSK 4 | |
| 未来 | wèi lái | future, tomorrow | HSK 4 | |
| 想象 | xiǎng xiàng | imagine, envision | HSK 4 | |
| 承受 | chéng shòu | bear, withstand | HSK 4 | |
| 获得 | huò dé | acquire, gain | HSK 4 | |
| 官方 | guān fāng | authority, the government | HSK 4 | |
| 作品 | zuò pǐn | work | HSK 3 | |
| 缺少 | quē shǎo | lack, be short of | HSK 3 | |
| 个人 | gè rén | individual | HSK 3 | |
| 希望 | xī wàng | hope, wish | HSK 3 | |
| 美好 | měi hǎo | fine, happy | HSK 3 | |
| 变成 | biàn chéng | grow, become | HSK 2 | |
| 如果 | rú guǒ | if, in case | HSK 2 | |
| 因为 | yīn wèi | because of, on account of | HSK 2 | |
| 最近 | zuì jìn | recently, lately | HSK 2 |
Grammar Notes
他一直在房间里走来走去。
Tā yīzhí zài fángjiān lǐ zǒu lái zǒu qù.
He has been walking back and forth in the room.
你觉得明天会不会下雨?
Nǐ juéde míngtiān huì bú huì xià yǔ?
Do you think it will rain tomorrow?
如果你有时间,请给我打电话。
Rúguǒ nǐ yǒu shíjiān, qǐng gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.
If you have time, please give me a call.
你是不是忘记了我们的约定?
Nǐ shì bú shì wàngjì le wǒmen de yuēdìng?
Did you forget our agreement?
There is a quiet, wistful kind of longing that feels less like a sharp ache and more like drifting slowly through calm waters, searching for a familiar current. This is the exact feeling captured in "魚仔" (Yu Zai / Little Fish), beautifully reimagined by yihuik (苡慧). A popular Malaysian-Chinese singer who rose to fame on Douyin and YouTube for her sweet, gentle vocal covers, yihuik has captured the hearts of millions of listeners across Asia with her soothing voice and minimalist acoustic style.
If you want to learn Chinese through music that speaks directly to the soul, yihuik’s clear, delicate pronunciation makes this song an absolute treasure. By unpacking the poetic lyrics of "魚仔", you will naturally expand your Mandarin vocabulary and master emotional expressions, all while letting one of the internet's most comforting voices wash over you.
Quick Info
| Song Name | 魚仔 (Yu Zai) |
| Artist | yihuik苡慧 |
| Original Singer | Crowd Lu (盧廣仲) |
| Release Year | 2021 |
| Duration | 03:45 |
The Story Behind the Song
Imagine a fish navigating vast, unseen currents, guided only by the instinct of return. This is the heartbeat of "魚仔" (Little Fish). Born in 2017 as the emotional anchor for the hit drama A Boy Named Flora A, Crowd Lu’s masterpiece weaves Mandarin and Taiwanese Hokkien into a tender tapestry of longing. Hokkien’s earthy warmth lends an aching vulnerability to the metaphor: we are all solitary fish swimming through life's depths, yearning for a distant shore.
When yihuik breathed new life into the ballad, her gossamer-soft vocals transformed this heavy ache into a gentle whisper. Her viral cover stripped away the agony of distance, turning a song of separation into an intimate, universal lullaby. Through her delicate phrasing, the endless ocean becomes a sanctuary of hope, reminding a digital generation that no matter how far we drift, love remains our quiet anchor.
✨ Lyrical Highlights
看魚仔在那游來游去 游來游去 / 我對你想來想去 想來想去
Kàn yú zǐ zài nà yóu lái yóu qù, yóu lái yóu qù / Wǒ duì nǐ xiǎng lái xiǎng qù, xiǎng lái xiǎng qù
Watching the little fish swim back and forth, swimming back and forth / I think of you over and over, over and overThis line masterfully uses the repetitive, rhythmic movement of a swimming fish as a visual metaphor for the inescapable, cyclical nature of longing. By mirroring "swimming back and forth" with "thinking over and over," the songwriter transforms a simple observation of nature into a profound expression of persistent love. It beautifully captures how the external world constantly reflects the internal state of a yearning heart.
花在開 魚在游 阮的心中只有你
Huā zài kāi, yú zài yóu, ruǎn de xīn zhōng zhǐ yǒu nǐ
Flowers are blooming, fish are swimming, and in my heart, there is only youThis line juxtaposes the natural, effortless occurrences of the world—blooming flowers and swimming fish—with the singer's singular, unwavering devotion. By framing love as a natural law akin to these elemental phenomena, the lyric elevates affection to something pure, inevitable, and eternal. It encapsulates the core theme of the song: a quiet, constant love that remains steady amidst the flowing currents of life.