杯水车薪 in English bei1 shui3 che1 xin1 Meaning

Meanings

  • literally (word for word) a cup of water on a burning cart of firewood (idiomatic expression); metaphorically an utterly inadequate measure

Simplified Characters

杯 水 车 薪

Traditional Characters

杯 水 車 薪

Pinyin

bei1 shui3 che1 xin1

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

杯bei1cup 水shui3surname Shui 车che1surname Che 薪xin1fuel