三天打鱼，两天晒网
sān​tiān​dǎ​yú​liǎng​tiān​shài​wǎng

to work in fits and starts

  1. 三 sān numeral
    three
    the number three; 3
  2. 天 tiān noun
    day
    a period of twenty-four hours; also used as a measurement for days or a specific time of day
  3. 打鱼 打魚 dǎ​yú verb + noun
    to fish
    to fish; to catch fish with nets
  4. ， liǎng
    non-Chinese
  5. 两 兩 liǎng numeral
    two
    two; used before most measure words, with the number ten, or with large units like thousand or ten thousand; also used for things that come in pairs
  6. 天 tiān noun
    day
    a period of twenty-four hours; also used as a measurement for days or a specific time of day
  7. 晒 shài verb
    to bask in the sun
    to dry items in the sun; to bask or tan in the sun; to shine upon
  8. 网 網 wǎng noun
    net
    a tool made of knotted string or wire with open spaces for catching fish or animals; something resembling such a tool, such as a spiderweb