牛刀小试 (niú dāo xiǎo shì): Meaning, Examples & Usage
Hanzi Stroke
Dictionary
By Character
Browse all characters A-Z
By Pinyin
Search by pronunciation
By Radical
Find by radical component
By Components
Learn meaning and sound clues
HSK
HSK Lists
All HSK versions overview
HSK 2.0
Tools
Learn & Practice
Worksheet Generator
Blog
Learning Essentials
Home
Dictionary
牛刀小试
牛刀小试 (niú dāo xiǎo shì): To display only a small part of one's great talent or skill (idiom) — Meaning & Stroke Order
1.
Animated Stroke Order
Practice Writing
2.
Free Printable Worksheet: 牛刀小试
Download Worksheet
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
HSK 3.0
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
Level 7-9
Create practice sheets for free
Worksheet Library
HSK, Top 100 & themed PDFs
Writing Practice
Practice HSK and saved words
Dictation Practice
Listen and write HSK characters
Flashcard Review
SRS review for HSK and custom decks
HSK Level Checker
Check HSK level of any text
Pinyin Converter
Convert Chinese to Pinyin
My Learning
Learning Dashboard
Track your writing progress
My Vocabulary
Review saved words and lists
Fun & Culture
Name Generator
Create your Chinese name
View All Tools
8 Basic Strokes Guide
Hot
Foundation of all characters
Pinyin Tones Guide
4 tones with audio examples
Chinese Handwriting Guide
Daily practice routine
HSK 3.0 Complete Guide
New
New exam format explained
HSK 1 Common Mistakes
Avoid beginner errors
Topics & Culture
Chinese Numbers 1-1000
Count like a native
Time & Dates Guide
Tell time in Chinese
Family Members Guide
30+ family terms
2026 Fire Horse Year
Hot
Zodiac meaning & luck
Top 100 Characters
Most frequent, free PDF
View All Blog Posts
3.
Character Breakdown
牛 • niú • ox, cow, cattle • HSK 3.0 · L3
HSK 3.0 · L3
niú
牛
ox, cow, cattle
刀 • dāo • knife • HSK 2.0 L4
HSK 4
dāo
刀
knife
小 • xiǎo • small • HSK 2.0 L1
HSK 1
xiǎo
小
small
试 • shì • to try • HSK 2.0 L3
HSK 3
shì
试
to try
Zodiac Calculator
Find your zodiac animal
Words Sharing Characters
More common words that include characters from 牛刀小试.
Words with
牛
牛奶
niú nǎi
milk
牛仔裤
niú zǎi kù
jeans
吹牛
chuī niú
boast; brag
对牛弹琴
duì niú tán qín
Playing the lute to a cow
公牛
gōng niú
bull
奶牛
nǎi niú
milk cow
小牛
xiǎo niú
calf; young cow
斗牛
dòu niú
bullfighting
Words with
刀
剪刀
jiǎn dāo
scissors; shears
刀伤
dāo shāng
knife wound
刀具
dāo jù
cutting tools; knives
刀刃
dāo rèn
blade edge, cutting edge
Words with
小
小姐
xiǎo jiě
Miss; young lady
小学
xiǎo xué
elementary school; primary school
小学生
xiǎo xué shēng
primary school student
小朋友
xiǎo péng yǒu
child
Words with
试
考试
kǎo shì
examination
笔试
bǐ shì
written examination
试题
shì tí
exam question
面试
miàn shì
to be interviewed (as a candidate)
刀叉
dāo chā
knife and fork
刀口
dāo kǒu
knife edge; incision
刀子
dāo zi
knife
刀片
dāo piàn
blade / razor blade
从小
cóng xiǎo
from childhood
小时
xiǎo shí
hour
小孩儿
xiǎo hái r
child; kid
小时候
xiǎo shí hou
in one's childhood
测试
cè shì
to test (machinery etc)
试卷
shì juàn
examination paper; test paper
试用
shì yòng
to try sth out
尝试
cháng shì
trial; attempt
4.
Example Sentences with 牛刀小试
tā
他
zài
在
zhè
这
cì
次
bǐ
比
sài
赛
zhōng
中
niú
牛
dāo
刀
xiǎo
小
shì
试
,
qīng
轻
sōng
松
yíng
赢
dé
得
le
了
dì
第
yī
一
míng
名
。
He showed a glimpse of his great skill in this competition and easily won first place.
zhè
这
wèi
位
xīn
新
lái
来
de
的
chú
厨
shī
师
zhǐ
只
shì
是
niú
牛
dāo
刀
xiǎo
小
shì
试
,
jiù
就
zuò
做
chū
出
le
了
lìng
令
rén
人
jīng
惊
tàn
叹
de
的
cài
菜
yáo
肴
。
The new chef only gave a small demonstration of his skill, yet he made an amazing dish.