割雞焉用牛刀

See also: 割鸡焉用牛刀

Chinese

	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	焉	用	牛刀
simp. (割鸡焉用牛刀)	割鸡	焉	用	牛刀
Literally: “Why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken?”.

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 17 (《論語·陽貨》):

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！」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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！」 [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

Mandarin
(Pinyin): gējī yān yòng niúdāo

(Zhuyin): ㄍㄜㄐㄧㄧㄢㄩㄥˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄠ
Cantonese (Jyutping): got³ gai¹ jin¹ jung⁶ ngau⁴ dou¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gējī yān yòng niúdāo
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄜㄐㄧㄧㄢㄩㄥˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄠ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: geji yan yòng nióudao
  - Wade–Giles: ko¹-chi¹ yen¹ yung⁴ niu²-tao¹
  - Yale: gē-jī yān yùng nyóu-dāu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: geji ian yonq nioudau
  - Palladius: гэцзи янь юн нюдао (gɛczi janʹ jun njudao)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɤ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: got³ gai¹ jin¹ jung⁶ ngau⁴ dou¹
  - Yale: got gāi yīn yuhng ngàuh dōu
  - Cantonese Pinyin: got⁸ gai¹ jin¹ jung⁶ ngau⁴ dou¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: god³ gei¹ yin¹ yung⁶ ngeo⁴ dou¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ jiːn⁵⁵ jʊŋ²² ŋɐu̯²¹ tou̯⁵⁵/

Proverb

割雞焉用牛刀

something of a big calibre is not necessary to handle small or minor problems; there is no need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
- 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。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  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。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14^th century CE
  Yán wèi jué, Lǚ Bù bèihòu yīrén, gāoshēng chū yuē: ‘Gējī yān yòng niúdāo?’ Bùláo wēnhóu qīnwǎng. [Pinyin]
  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.

Synonyms

殺雞焉用牛刀／杀鸡焉用牛刀 (shā jī yān yòng niúdāo)

Descendants

→ 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)
→ Vietnamese: giết gà dùng dao mổ trâu (calque)

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