杯水車薪

杯水車薪

See also: 杯水车薪

Chinese

		drinkware; cup; glass	water; river	vehicle on land; car; machine vehicle on land; car; machine; to shape with a lathe	fuel; salary
trad. (杯水車薪)		杯	水	車	薪
simp. (杯水车薪)		杯	水	车	薪

Etymology

Literally: use a cup of water to put out a burning cart full of firewood

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bēi shuǐ jū xīn

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄟ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄐㄩ ㄒㄧㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bui¹ seoi² geoi¹ san¹
• Min Nan (POJ): poe-chúi-chhia-sin

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: bēi shuǐ jū xīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄟ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄐㄩ ㄒㄧㄣ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bei shoei jiu shin
    • IPA ^(key): /peɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ t͡ɕy⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: bui¹ seoi² geoi¹ san¹
    • Yale: būi séui gēui sān
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bui¹ soey² goey¹ san¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: bui¹ sêu² gêu¹ sen¹
    • IPA ^(key): /puːy̯⁵⁵ sɵy̯³⁵ kɵy̯⁵⁵ sɐn⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: poe-chúi-chhia-sin
    • Tâi-lô: pue-tsuí-tshia-sin
    • Phofsit Daibuun: poezuychiasyn
    • IPA (Xiamen): /pue⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡ɕʰia⁴⁴⁻²² ɕin⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /pue³³ t͡sui⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ t͡ɕʰia³³ ɕin³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /pue⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡ɕʰia⁴⁴⁻²² ɕin⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /pue⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡ɕʰia⁴⁴⁻³³ ɕin⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /pue⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sui⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡ɕʰia⁴⁴⁻³³ ɕin⁴⁴/

Idiom

杯水車薪

1. too inadequate and useless; to no avail