See 割雞焉用牛刀 in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
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},
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"text": "→ Japanese: 鶏を割くに焉んぞ牛刀を用いん (niwatori o saku ni izukunzo/nanzo gyūtō o mochiin) (calque)"
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{
"english": "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!\"",
"raw_tags": [
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"ref": " The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, Wiktionary translation",
"roman": "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!”",
"tags": [
"Pinyin"
],
"text": "子之武城，聞弦歌之聲，夫子莞爾而笑，曰：「割雞焉用牛刀。」子游對曰：「昔者，偃也聞諸夫子曰：『君子學道則愛人，小人學道則易使也。』」子曰：「二三子！偃之言是也，前言戲之耳！」",
"type": "quote"
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"english": "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!\"",
"raw_tags": [
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"ref": " The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, Wiktionary translation",
"roman": "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!”",
"tags": [
"Pinyin"
],
"text": "子之武城，闻弦歌之声，夫子莞尔而笑，曰：「割鸡焉用牛刀。」子游对曰：「昔者，偃也闻诸夫子曰：『君子学道则爱人，小人学道则易使也。』」子曰：「二三子！偃之言是也，前言戏之耳！」",
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"etymology_text": "From the Analects, Book 17 (《論語·陽貨》):\n:\nIn 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.",
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"lang_code": "zh",
"literal_meaning": "Why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken?",
"pos": "proverb",
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"english": "He had not yet finished speaking, when a person standing behind Lü Bu said loudly, \"'Why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken?' We shouldn't trouble the Marquis of Wen to go personally.",
"raw_tags": [
"MSC",
"Traditional Chinese"
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"ref": " Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 5",
"roman": "Yán wèi jué, Lǚ Bù bèihòu yīrén, gāoshēng chū yuē: ‘Gējī yān yòng niúdāo?’ Bùláo wēnhóu qīnwǎng.",
"tags": [
"Pinyin"
],
"text": "言未絕，呂布背後一人，高聲出曰：『割雞焉用牛刀？』不勞溫侯親往。",
"type": "quote"
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"english": "He had not yet finished speaking, when a person standing behind Lü Bu said loudly, \"'Why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken?' We shouldn't trouble the Marquis of Wen to go personally.",
"raw_tags": [
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"ref": " Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 5",
"roman": "Yán wèi jué, Lǚ Bù bèihòu yīrén, gāoshēng chū yuē: ‘Gējī yān yòng niúdāo?’ Bùláo wēnhóu qīnwǎng.",
"tags": [
"Pinyin"
],
"text": "言未绝，吕布背后一人，高声出曰：『割鸡焉用牛刀？』不劳温侯亲往。",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"something of a big calibre is not necessary to handle small or minor problems; why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut"
],
"id": "en-割雞焉用牛刀-zh-proverb-DBGMtIOT",
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"synonyms": [
{
"roman": "shā jī yān yòng niúdāo",
"word": "殺雞焉用牛刀／杀鸡焉用牛刀"
},
{
"roman": "shā jī yān yòng niúdāo",
"word": "殺雞焉用牛刀"
},
{
"roman": "shā jī yān yòng niúdāo",
"word": "杀鸡焉用牛刀"
}
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"zh-pron": "gējī yān yòng niúdāo"
},
{
"tags": [
"Mandarin",
"bopomofo"
],
"zh-pron": "ㄍㄜ ㄐㄧ ㄧㄢ ㄩㄥˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄠ"
},
{
"tags": [
"Cantonese",
"Jyutping"
],
"zh-pron": "got³ gai¹ jin¹ jung⁶ ngau⁴ dou¹"
},
{
"tags": [
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"zh-pron": "gējī yān yòng niúdāo"
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{
"tags": [
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],
"zh-pron": "geji yan yòng nióudao"
},
{
"tags": [
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],
"zh-pron": "ko¹-chi¹ yen¹ yung⁴ niu²-tao¹"
},
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"tags": [
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"zh-pron": "gē-jī yān yùng nyóu-dāu"
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"zh-pron": "geji ian yonq nioudau"
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"zh-pron": "гэцзи янь юн нюдао"
},
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"zh-pron": "gɛczi janʹ jun njudao"
},
{
"ipa": "/kɤ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵⁵/",
"tags": [
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"Sinological-IPA"
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},
{
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"zh-pron": "got gāi yīn yuhng ngàuh dōu"
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"zh-pron": "got⁸ gai¹ jin¹ jung⁶ ngau⁴ dou¹"
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{
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"zh-pron": "god³ gei¹ yin¹ yung⁶ ngeo⁴ dou¹"
},
{
"ipa": "/kɔːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ jiːn⁵⁵ jʊŋ²² ŋɐu̯²¹ tou̯⁵⁵/",
"tags": [
"Cantonese",
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},
{
"ipa": "/kɤ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵⁵/"
},
{
"ipa": "/kɔːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ jiːn⁵⁵ jʊŋ²² ŋɐu̯²¹ tou̯⁵⁵/"
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"word": "割雞焉用牛刀"
}
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"expansion": "→ Japanese: 鶏を割くに焉んぞ牛刀を用いん (niwatori o saku ni izukunzo/nanzo gyūtō o mochiin) (calque)",
"name": "desc"
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],
"text": "→ Japanese: 鶏を割くに焉んぞ牛刀を用いん (niwatori o saku ni izukunzo/nanzo gyūtō o mochiin) (calque)"
},
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"depth": 1,
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"2": "giết gà dùng dao mổ trâu",
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"name": "desc"
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"text": "→ Vietnamese: giết gà dùng dao mổ trâu (calque)"
}
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"english": "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!\"",
"raw_tags": [
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"roman": "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!”",
"tags": [
"Pinyin"
],
"text": "子之武城，聞弦歌之聲，夫子莞爾而笑，曰：「割雞焉用牛刀。」子游對曰：「昔者，偃也聞諸夫子曰：『君子學道則愛人，小人學道則易使也。』」子曰：「二三子！偃之言是也，前言戲之耳！」",
"type": "quote"
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"english": "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!\"",
"raw_tags": [
"Classical Chinese",
"Simplified Chinese"
],
"ref": " The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, Wiktionary translation",
"roman": "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!”",
"tags": [
"Pinyin"
],
"text": "子之武城，闻弦歌之声，夫子莞尔而笑，曰：「割鸡焉用牛刀。」子游对曰：「昔者，偃也闻诸夫子曰：『君子学道则爱人，小人学道则易使也。』」子曰：「二三子！偃之言是也，前言戏之耳！」",
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"etymology_text": "From the Analects, Book 17 (《論語·陽貨》):\n:\nIn 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.",
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"english": "He had not yet finished speaking, when a person standing behind Lü Bu said loudly, \"'Why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken?' We shouldn't trouble the Marquis of Wen to go personally.",
"raw_tags": [
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"roman": "Yán wèi jué, Lǚ Bù bèihòu yīrén, gāoshēng chū yuē: ‘Gējī yān yòng niúdāo?’ Bùláo wēnhóu qīnwǎng.",
"tags": [
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"english": "He had not yet finished speaking, when a person standing behind Lü Bu said loudly, \"'Why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken?' We shouldn't trouble the Marquis of Wen to go personally.",
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"ref": " Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 5",
"roman": "Yán wèi jué, Lǚ Bù bèihòu yīrén, gāoshēng chū yuē: ‘Gējī yān yòng niúdāo?’ Bùláo wēnhóu qīnwǎng.",
"tags": [
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"text": "言未绝，吕布背后一人，高声出曰：『割鸡焉用牛刀？』不劳温侯亲往。",
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"zh-pron": "ㄍㄜ ㄐㄧ ㄧㄢ ㄩㄥˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄠ"
},
{
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"zh-pron": "gējī yān yòng niúdāo"
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"zh-pron": "geji yan yòng nióudao"
},
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],
"zh-pron": "ko¹-chi¹ yen¹ yung⁴ niu²-tao¹"
},
{
"tags": [
"Mandarin",
"Yale"
],
"zh-pron": "gē-jī yān yùng nyóu-dāu"
},
{
"tags": [
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],
"zh-pron": "geji ian yonq nioudau"
},
{
"tags": [
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],
"zh-pron": "гэцзи янь юн нюдао"
},
{
"tags": [
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"Palladius"
],
"zh-pron": "gɛczi janʹ jun njudao"
},
{
"ipa": "/kɤ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵⁵/",
"tags": [
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},
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"tags": [
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"zh-pron": "got gāi yīn yuhng ngàuh dōu"
},
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"tags": [
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"Pinyin"
],
"zh-pron": "got⁸ gai¹ jin¹ jung⁶ ngau⁴ dou¹"
},
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"tags": [
"Cantonese",
"Guangdong-Romanization"
],
"zh-pron": "god³ gei¹ yin¹ yung⁶ ngeo⁴ dou¹"
},
{
"ipa": "/kɔːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ jiːn⁵⁵ jʊŋ²² ŋɐu̯²¹ tou̯⁵⁵/",
"tags": [
"Cantonese",
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]
},
{
"ipa": "/kɤ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵⁵/"
},
{
"ipa": "/kɔːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ jiːn⁵⁵ jʊŋ²² ŋɐu̯²¹ tou̯⁵⁵/"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"roman": "shā jī yān yòng niúdāo",
"word": "殺雞焉用牛刀／杀鸡焉用牛刀"
},
{
"roman": "shā jī yān yòng niúdāo",
"word": "殺雞焉用牛刀"
},
{
"roman": "shā jī yān yòng niúdāo",
"word": "杀鸡焉用牛刀"
}
],
"word": "割雞焉用牛刀"
}
Download raw JSONL data for 割雞焉用牛刀 meaning in Chinese (8.1kB)
{
"called_from": "pronunciations/296/20230324",
"msg": "Zh-pron header not found in zh_pron_tags or tags: '(Standard Chinese)⁺'",
"path": [
"割雞焉用牛刀"
],
"section": "Chinese",
"subsection": "",
"title": "割雞焉用牛刀",
"trace": ""
}
{
"called_from": "pronunciations/296/20230324",
"msg": "Zh-pron header not found in zh_pron_tags or tags: '(Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺'",
"path": [
"割雞焉用牛刀"
],
"section": "Chinese",
"subsection": "",
"title": "割雞焉用牛刀",
"trace": ""
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Chinese dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-18 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (e4a2c88 and 4230888). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.