九牛一毛jiǔ niú yī máoa drop in the ocean

1. 1.

   a drop in the oceanidiom

Figurative meaning

A drop in the ocean.

Literal meaning

One hair from nine oxen.

• 九nine
• 牛ox
• 一one
• 毛hair

The story

Sima Qian writes that if he had simply accepted punishment and been put to death, it would have been like nine oxen losing one hair, and asks how he would then have differed from an ant.

九牛一毛 can describe an amount that is too small to make a real difference.

1. HSK 3

   一百块钱对他只是九牛一毛。

   Yìbǎi kuài qián duì tā zhǐshì jiǔ niú yī máo.

   A hundred yuan is just a drop in the ocean to him.

2. HSK 3

   我们的帮助只是九牛一毛，问题还很大。

   Wǒmen de bāngzhù zhǐshì jiǔ niú yī máo, wèntí hái hěn dà.

   Our help is only a drop in the ocean; the problem is still big.

1. 
   Speaker A:

   这个问题要很多钱。

   Zhège wèntí yào hěn duō qián.

   This problem needs a lot of money.

2. 
   Speaker B:

   我们有一百块。

   Wǒmen yǒu yìbǎi kuài.

   We have a hundred yuan.

3. 
   Speaker A:

   一百块只是九牛一毛。

   Yìbǎi kuài zhǐshì jiǔ niú yī máo.

   A hundred yuan is just a drop in the ocean.

4. 
   Speaker B:

   那我们再想想办法吧。

   Nà wǒmen zài xiǎngxiang bànfǎ ba.

   Then let's think of another way.

1. 1.What does 九牛一毛 mean?

   AA drop in the oceanBVery strongCA lot of hair
2. 2.Which sentence uses 九牛一毛 correctly?

   A这点钱对他只是九牛一毛。B他今天很九牛一毛。C我九牛一毛地跑步。
3. 3.Which word fits best? 这点帮助只是____。 (This little help is just a drop in the ocean.)

   A九牛一毛B破釜沉舟C惊弓之鸟

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• 一举两得yì jǔ liǎng détwo birds with one stoneHSK 7–9
• 一如既往yì rú jì wǎng(idiom) just as in the past; as before; continuing as alwaysHSK 7–9
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