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jiǔ 九 niú 牛 yī 一 máo 毛

九牛一毛 jiǔ niú yī máo

a drop in the ocean; a tiny fraction

Literally: nine oxen one hair

Beginner 🐉 Animals & fables
🃏 Practise beginner chengyu

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Origin

From Sima Qian's letter to Ren An: he says that if he were executed, his death would matter no more than the loss of one hair from nine oxen.

How to use it

Predicate, often 只是九牛一毛; neutral. Often 对他来说只是九牛一毛.

Example sentences

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  1. 一百块钱对他来说只是九牛一毛。
    Yībǎi kuài qián duì tā lái shuō zhǐ shì jiǔ niú yī máo.
    A hundred yuan is just a drop in the ocean to him.
    one-hundred yuan money toward him come say only is nine oxen one hair
  2. 我学会的汉字跟所有的汉字比，只是九牛一毛。
    Wǒ xuéhuì de Hànzì gēn suǒyǒu de Hànzì bǐ, zhǐ shì jiǔ niú yī máo.
    The characters I've learned are a tiny fraction compared with all the characters there are.
    I learn-master (particle) Chinese-character with all (particle) Chinese-character compare, only is nine oxen one hair

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