諺語 · a single proverb
九牛一毛
What does 九牛一毛 (jiǔ niú yī máo) mean?
九牛一毛 (jiǔ niú yī máo) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "one hair from nine oxen." In use it means: Something negligibly small compared to the whole. One hair from nine full oxen is not just small. It is invisible. Proportion matters. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.
Literally: "one hair from nine oxen."
The reading
The million-dollar company loses a hundred dollars. The reaction should be: none. The reaction often is: a three-hour meeting. Learning to distinguish the hair from the ox is the skill that separates people who spend their energy well from people who spend it on everything equally.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Sima Qian 司馬遷, 'Letter to Ren An' 報任安書 (Han dynasty)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 九牛一毛 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 九牛一毛 (jiǔ niú yī máo) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Sima Qian 司馬遷, 'Letter to Ren An' 報任安書 (Han dynasty). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 九牛一毛?
In Mandarin it is jiǔ niú yī máo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 九牛一毛 aloud in Mandarin.