jiǔ
niú
máo

idiom
common

Meaning of 九牛一毛

九牛一毛 means a drop in the ocean; a tiny fraction of a huge whole. Pronounced jiǔ niú yī máo.

  • a drop in the ocean; a tiny fraction of a huge whole

Definitions & Examples

Zhè
diǎn
juān
kuǎn
duì
lái
shuō
 
guò
shì
jiǔ
niú
máo
 

This small donation is merely a drop in the ocean for him.

Xiāng
gōng
de
rùn
 
zhè
diǎn
sǔn
shī
jiǎn
zhí
shì
jiǔ
niú
máo
 

Compared to the company's huge profits, this loss is simply a drop in the bucket.

xiǎng
tōng
guò
jié
yuē
yòng
shuǐ
lái
bǎo
huán
jìng
 
dàn
rén
guò
shì
jiǔ
niú
máo
 

He wants to protect the environment by saving water, but individual efforts are just a drop in the ocean.