shā jī yān yòng niú dāo

Traditional: 殺雞焉用牛刀

杀鸡焉用牛刀 (shā jī yān yòng niú dāo) is a Chinese word meaning “don't use a sledgehammer on a nut; aquila non capit muscam”.

Meanings

  1. 1don't use a sledgehammer on a nut
  2. 2aquila non capit muscam

Characters in 杀鸡焉用牛刀

杀shā · to kill; to slay; to murder; to attack鸡jī · fowl焉yān · where用yòng · to use; to make use of; to employ牛niú · ox刀dāo · knife; blade; single-edged sword; cutlass (CL:把[ba3])

Related words

用to use; to make use of; to employ杀to kill; to slay; to murder; to attack谋杀to murder不用need not杀死to kill利用to exploit杀人homicide使用to use自杀to kill oneself鸡fowl鸡variant of 雞|鸡[ji1]刀knife; blade; single-edged sword; cutlass (CL:把[ba3])

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