小试牛刀 (xiǎo shì niú dāo) — (idiom) to show a small part of one's great ability; literally 'to try a butcher's knife on a small scale'
Definition
A chengyu meaning to display just a sliver of one's real skill on a small task — literally 'testing a butcher's cleaver on something small.' Used modestly, often by the doer, to imply the bigger ability is held back.
idiom
to show a small part of one's great abilityliterally 'to try a butcher's knife on a small scale'
Examples
- 小试牛刀，。Tā zhè cì zhǐ shì xiǎo shì niú dāo, zhēn zhèng de shí lì hái méi zhǎn xiàn chū lái.He only showed a small part of his ability this time; his real strength hasn't shown yet.
- 小试牛刀，。Zhè ge xiàng mù duì tā lái shuō zhǐ shì xiǎo shì niú dāo, tā yǐ qián zuò guò gèng dà de.This project is just a small try for him; he has done bigger ones before.
- 小试牛刀，。Xīn lái de chú shī zuò le yí dào jiǎn dān de cài xiǎo shì niú dāo, dà jiā dōu jué de hǎo chī.The new chef made a simple dish to show a bit of his ability, and everyone thought it was delicious.
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