割雞焉用牛刀 gē jī yān yòng niú dāo

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. why use a pole-ax to slaughter a chicken? (idiom)
  2. fig. to waste effort on a trifling matter
  3. also written 殺雞焉用牛刀|杀鸡焉用牛刀[sha1 ji1 yan1 yong4 niu2 dao1]

CHARACTERS

割 gē
HSK 6
cut, divide, partition; cede
雞 jī chickens; domestic fowl
焉 yān thereupon, then; how? why? where?
用 yòng
HSK 3
use, employ, apply, operate; use
牛 niú
HSK 2
cow, ox, bull; KangXi radical93
刀 dāo
HSK 4
knife; old coin; measure