a drop in the ocean; insignificant
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
a drop in the ocean; a single grain of millet in the great granary; something very small or insignificant
literary太仓 (Taicang) was the name of the large imperial granary in the capital city during ancient times. The idiom compares something to a single grain in such a vast storehouse, emphasizing its extreme insignificance.
Wǒ我
yī一
gè个
rén人
zuò做
de的
zhè这
diǎn点
gōng工
zuò作
，
zài在
jí集
tǐ体
zhōng中
bù不
guò过
shì是
tài太
cāng仓
yī一
sù粟
bà罢
le了
。
The little work I did alone is nothing but a drop in the ocean compared to the collective effort.
Zhè这
diǎn点
qián钱
duì对
zhěng整
gè个
xiàng项
mù目
lái来
shuō说
，
zhǐ只
shì是
tài太
cāng仓
yī一
sù粟
。
This amount of money is just a drop in the ocean for the entire project.
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Gè个
rén人
de的
lì力
liàng量
zài在
zhěng整
gè个
shè社
huì会
miàn面
qián前
，
yóu犹
rú如
tài太
cāng仓
yī一
sù粟
。
The power of an individual is like a grain of sand in the face of society as a whole.