# 割雞焉用牛刀
## 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) | 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) | 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 translationZǐ 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): ㄍㄜ ㄐㄧ ㄧㄢ ㄩㄥˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄠ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): got$^3$ gai$^1$ jin$^1$ jung$^6$ ngau$^4$ dou$^1$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: gējī yān yòng niúdāo
*** Zhuyin: ㄍㄜ ㄐㄧ ㄧㄢ ㄩㄥˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄠ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: geji yan yòng nióudao
*** Wade–Giles: ko$^1$-chi$^1$ yen$^1$ yung$^4$ niu$^2$-tao$^1$
*** Yale: gē-jī yān yùng nyóu-dāu
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: geji ian yonq nioudau
*** Palladius: гэцзи янь юн нюдао (gɛczi janʹ jun njudao)
*** Sinological IPA : /kɤ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: got$^3$ gai$^1$ jin$^1$ jung$^6$ ngau$^4$ dou$^1$
*** Yale: got gāi yīn yuhng ngàuh dōu
*** Cantonese Pinyin: got$^8$ gai$^1$ jin$^1$ jung$^6$ ngau$^4$ dou$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: god$^3$ gei$^1$ yin$^1$ yung$^6$ ngeo$^4$ dou$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /kɔːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ jiːn⁵⁵ jʊŋ²² ŋɐu̯²¹ tou̯⁵⁵/

### Proverb

割雞焉用牛刀
* (rhetorical question) something of a big calibre is not necessary to handle small or minor problems; why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
    From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 5
    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)