Word Meaning 割鶏牛刀

かっけいぎゅうとう kakkeigyuutou

割鶏牛刀 is read as かっけいぎゅうとう (kakkeigyuutou) and means using a meat ax when a knife would suffice.

Meaning

English

  1. using a meat ax when a knife would suffice
  2. taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut
  3. using a grand-scale measure (a massive instrument) to deal with an insignificant problem

Reading

Kana

かっけいぎゅうとう

Romaji

kakkeigyuutou

Stroke Sequence

4 Characters • 37 Total Strokes

Study Signals and Categories

JLPT N1 Jōyō Upper Grade Kanken 3級 Yojijukugo Rank 137478 Priority V

Related Vocabulary

Max. 12

牛刀

ぎゅうとう

butcher's knife

鶏口牛後

けいこうぎゅうご

better to be the beak of a rooster than the rump of a bull

牛割き

うしざき

tying a person's limbs to two or four bulls and making them run in different directions (Warring States-era death penalty)

鶏口となるも牛後となる勿れ

けいこうとなるもぎゅうごとなるなかれ

better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion

割賦

かっぷ

allotment

割譲

かつじょう

cession (of territory)

割り勘

わりかん

splitting the cost

割引債

わりびきさい

discount bond

割増賃金

わりましちんぎん

extra pay

割り振り

わりふり

allocation

割り振る

わりふる

to assign

割引政策

わりびきせいさく

discount policy