Hanzi
CharactersIdiomsChinese ZodiacChinese Name
Tools
  • Chinese Word CounterCount characters, words and sentences in Chinese text
  • Pinyin GeneratorConvert Chinese text to pinyin with tone marks
  • Chinese Text Image GeneratorRender Chinese text as a downloadable image
  • Chinese Text to SpeechRead Chinese aloud with karaoke highlighting
  • Stroke Order AnimatorTurn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
  • Writing WorksheetsPrintable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
View all tools →
Blogs
小菜一碟
小菜一碟
小菜一碟
小菜一碟
小菜一碟
小菜一碟
小菜一碟
小菜一碟

小菜一碟 — “A piece of cake”

小菜一碟 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a piece of cake”. Something very easy to do or accomplish. Literally, “A small dish”.

Frequency

小菜一碟 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • 小xiǎo
  • 菜cài
  • 一yī
  • 碟dié

小菜一碟 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
小
xiǎo3small, little, young, minor
菜
cài12vegetable or dish
一
yī1one, a, single, whole
碟
dié14small plate or dish

Example Sentence with 小菜一碟

对一个经验丰富的厨师来说,做这道菜简直是小菜一碟。
For an experienced chef, making this dish is a piece of cake.

Idioms Related to 小菜一碟

More idioms starting with 小

  • xiǎo小bù不rěn忍zé则luàn乱dà大móu谋Impatience in small things spoils great plans
  • xiǎo小chǒu丑tiào跳liáng梁Insignificant villains stirring up mischief
  • xiǎo小zhōng中jiàn见dà大see the big in the small
  • xiǎo小rén人dé得zhì志petty person achieves success
  • xiǎo小xìn信wèi未fú孚Small trust not yet convinced
  • xiǎo小tōu偷xiǎo小mō摸to engage in petty theft
  • xiǎo小ér儿pò破zéi贼youngster achieves great accomplishments
  • xiǎo小guān冠zi子xià夏a person with poor eyesight
  • xiǎo小shòu受dà大zǒu走endure minor punishment, flee severe beating
  • xiǎo小qì器yì易yíng盈narrow-minded, easily conceited
  • xiǎo小guó国guǎ寡mín民small country with few people
  • xiǎo小dà大yóu由zhī之applicable to both large and small matters

Questions about 小菜一碟

What does 小菜一碟 mean?
小菜一碟 (xiǎo cài yī dié) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a piece of cake”.
How do you pronounce 小菜一碟?
小菜一碟 is pronounced xiǎo cài yī dié in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 小菜一碟 literally mean?
Literally, 小菜一碟 means “a small dish”. It is used to mean “a piece of cake”.
What is the Chinese definition of 小菜一碟?
指不值得大肆宣扬。形容事情很容易办成
Copy the pinyin for 小菜一碟 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.

© 2026 hanzi.now

Contact Us