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牛刀割鸡
牛刀割鸡
牛刀割鸡
牛刀割鸡
牛刀割鸡
牛刀割鸡
牛刀割鸡
牛刀割鸡

牛刀割鸡 — “To use excessive force or effort for a trivial task”

牛刀割鸡 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to use excessive force or effort for a trivial task”. To be overqualified for a simple job. Literally, “To use an ox-cleaver to carve a chicken”.

Frequency

牛刀割鸡 Pronunciation and Pinyin

牛刀割鸡 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order
CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
牛
niú4Ox, awesome, or stubborn
刀
dāo2knife
割
gē12cut off or sever
鸡
jī7chicken

Example Sentence with 牛刀割鸡

解决这个小问题,何必让资深专家亲自出马,简直是牛刀割鸡。
Why ask a senior expert to personally handle such a small issue? It's like using an ox-cleaver to carve a chicken.

Idioms Related to 牛刀割鸡

Synonyms of 牛刀割鸡

  • dà大cái材xiǎo小yòng用underemploy great talent

More idioms starting with 牛

  • niú牛bù不hē喝shuǐ水qiǎng强àn按tóu头You can't force an unwilling person
  • niú牛bù不hē喝shuǐ水nán难àn按jiǎo角You can't force a person against their will
  • niú牛bù不yǐn饮shuǐ水qiáng强àn按tóu头You can't force an ox to drink
  • niú牛zhī之yī一máo毛a drop in the ocean
  • niú牛nóng农duì对qì泣impoverished couple weeping together
  • niú牛dāo刀xiǎo小shì试display significant talent in a minor task
  • niú牛kǒu口zhī之xià下A humble or inferior position
  • niú牛tīng听tán弹qín琴explain profound things to an uncomprehending person
  • niú牛tóu头bù不duì对mǎ马zuǐ嘴irrelevant or incongruous
  • niú牛tóu头bù不duì对mǎ马miàn面irrelevant answer or complete mismatch
  • niú牛tóu头ā阿páng旁ox-headed demon guard of hell
  • niú牛tóu头mǎ马miàn面hideous enforcers of evil

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Questions about 牛刀割鸡

What does 牛刀割鸡 mean?

牛刀割鸡 (niú dāo gē jī) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to use excessive force or effort for a trivial task”.

How do you pronounce 牛刀割鸡?

牛刀割鸡 is pronounced niú dāo gē jī in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 牛刀割鸡 literally mean?

Literally, 牛刀割鸡 means “to use an ox-cleaver to carve a chicken”. It is used to mean “to use excessive force or effort for a trivial task”.

What is the Chinese definition of 牛刀割鸡?

杀只鸡用宰牛的刀。比喻大材小用。

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