九きゅう牛ぎゅうの一いち毛もう

きゅ

う

ぎゅ

う

の

い

ち

も

う

Meanings

expression, noun

drop in the bucket; drop in the ocean; insignificant fraction

idiomatic expression›yojijukugo (four-character idiom)›

Idiomatic yojijukugo meaning something is so small compared to the whole that it is negligible, like a single hair from nine oxen. Often used in expressions of modesty or to emphasize insignificance.

彼かれの寄き付ふは全ぜん体たいから見みれば九きゅう牛ぎゅうの一いち毛もうに過すぎない。

His donation is just a drop in the bucket compared to the total.

私わたしの知ち識しきなど九きゅう牛ぎゅうの一いち毛もうで、まだまだ勉べん強きょうが必ひつ要ようだ。

My knowledge is but a drop in the ocean; I still have much to learn.

Kanji

九nine
牛cow
一one, one radical (no.1)
毛fur, hair, feather

Related words

大たい海かいの一いっ滴てき
Similar meaning ('a drop in the ocean'), but uses a different metaphor. 九牛の一毛 emphasizes the tiny fraction of a large whole, while 大海の一滴 focuses on a single drop in a vast sea.
雀すずめの涙なみだ
Also means a very small amount, but is more casual and often used for tiny sums of money or quantities. 九牛の一毛 is more formal and literary.

Written forms

九きゅう牛ぎゅうの一いち毛もう
Standard full form of the yojijukugo, literally 'one hair from nine oxen'.
九牛一毛きゅうぎゅうのいちもう
Abbreviated form without の; also common in writing.

Etymology

From the Classical Chinese expression 九牛之一毛, “one hair among nine oxen,” used by 司馬遷 in his letter to 任安 for something vanishingly insignificant.