割雞焉用牛刀

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Chinese

[edit]
to kill a chicken; to deal with a minor issue where; how to use an ox cleaver; a cleaver for butchering oxen
trad. (割雞焉用牛刀/割鷄焉用牛刀) 割雞/割鷄 牛刀
simp. (割鸡焉用牛刀) 割鸡 牛刀
Literally: “Why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken?”.

Etymology

[edit]

From the Analects, Book 17 (《論語·陽貨》):

武城,弦歌夫子莞爾:「割雞焉用牛刀。」子游:「昔者,偃夫子:『君子小人使。』」:「二三子!偃前言!」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
武城,弦歌夫子莞尔:「割鸡焉用牛刀。」子游:「昔者,偃夫子:『君子小人使。』」:「二三子!偃前言!」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, Wiktionary translation
Zǐ zhī Wǔchéng, wén xiángē zhī shēng, Fūzǐ wǎn'ěr ér xiào, yuē: “Gējī yān yòng niúdāo.” Zǐyóu duì yuē: “Xīzhě, Yǎn yě wén zhū Fūzǐ yuē: ‘Jūnzǐ xué dào zé ài rén, xiǎorén xué dào zé yì shǐ yě.’” Zǐ yuē: “Èrsānzǐ! Yǎn zhī yán shì yě, qiányán xì zhī ěr!” [Pinyin]
The master went to Wucheng. When he heard the sound of ritual court music, the master smiled and said, "Why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken?" Ziyou replied, "In that past, I have heard you say, 'If a ruler learns the way, then he will love the people. If a person of low station learns the way, then it will be easier for him to serve.'" The master said, "Gentlemen! What Yan said is correct. As for my previous statement, I was only teasing him!"

In this passage, Confucius was joking with his disciple Yan Yan, suggesting that the ritual court music might be a bit over the top, when considering that Wucheng was such a lowly assignment.

Pronunciation

[edit]

Proverb

[edit]

割雞焉用牛刀

  1. (rhetorical question) something of a big calibre is not necessary to handle small or minor problems; why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut

Synonyms

[edit]

Descendants

[edit]