不当家不知柴米贵
bù dāng jiā bù zhī chái mǐ guì
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1 a person who doesn't manage a household would not be aware how expensive it is (idiom)
九牛一毛
jiǔ niú yī máo
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1 lit. one hair from nine oxen (idiom)
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2 fig. a drop in the ocean
九牛二虎之力
jiǔ niú èr hǔ zhī lì
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1 tremendous strength (idiom)
偷鸡不成蚀把米
tōu jī bù chéng shí bǎ mǐ
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1 lit. to try to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice used to lure it (idiom)
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2 fig. to try to gain an advantage only to end up worse off
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3 to go for wool and come back shorn
初生牛犊不怕虎
chū shēng niú dú bù pà hǔ
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1 lit. newborn calves do not fear tigers (idiom)
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2 fig. the young are fearless
割鸡焉用牛刀
gē jī yān yòng niú dāo
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1 lit. why use a pole-ax to slaughter a chicken? (idiom)
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2 fig. to waste effort on a trifling matter
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3 also written 殺雞焉用牛刀|杀鸡焉用牛刀[shā jī yān yòng niú dāo]
呼牛作马
hū niú zuò mǎ
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1 to call sth a cow or a horse (idiom); it doesn't matter what you call it
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2 Insult me if you want, I don't care what you call me.
呼牛呼马
hū niú hū mǎ
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1 to call sth a cow or a horse (idiom); it doesn't matter what you call it
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2 Insult me if you want, I don't care what you call me.
土牛木马
tǔ niú mù mǎ
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1 clay ox, wooden horse (idiom); shape without substance
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2 worthless object
多如牛毛
duō rú niú máo
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1 as many as the hair of the ox (idiom)
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2 great amount of
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3 countless
对牛弹琴
duì niú tán qín
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1 lit. to play the lute to a cow (idiom)
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2 fig. offering a treat to an unappreciative audience
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3 to cast pearls before swine
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4 caviar to the general
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5 to preach to deaf ears
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6 to talk over sb's head
小试牛刀
xiǎo shì niú dāo
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1 to give a small demonstration of one's impressive skills (idiom)
巧妇难为无米之炊
qiǎo fù nán wéi wú mǐ zhī chuī
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1 The cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice (idiom); You won't get anywhere without equipment.
带牛佩犊
dài niú pèi dú
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1 to abandon armed struggle and return to raising cattle (idiom)
杀牛宰羊
shā niú zǎi yáng
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1 slaughter the cattle and butcher the sheep
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2 to prepare a big feast (idiom)
气喘如牛
qì chuǎn rú niú
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1 to breathe heavily like an ox (idiom)
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2 to huff and puff
汗牛充栋
hàn niú chōng dòng
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1 lit. enough books to make a pack-ox sweat or to fill a house to the rafters (idiom); fig. many books
泥牛入海
ní niú rù hǎi
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1 lit. a clay ox enters the sea (idiom); fig. to disappear with no hope of returning
牛溲马勃
niú sōu mǎ bó
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1 cow's piss, horse's ulcer (idiom); worthless nonsense
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2 insignificant