小题大做

小題大做

xiǎotí-dàzuò

idiom #11,390

Meanings

只是迟到了五分钟，你不要小题大做。

Zhǐshì chídào le wǔfēn zhōng, nǐ bùyào xiǎotídàzuò.

It's just five minutes late, don't make a big deal out of it.

他觉得我小题大做，但我真的很担心。

Tā juéde wǒ xiǎotídàzuò, dàn wǒzhēn de hěn dānxīn.

He thinks I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but I'm really worried.

memory

小题 (small topic/question) + 大做 (do it big) = making a small matter into something big. Imagine writing a 10-page essay for a simple yes/no question.

history

Originally from the imperial exam system: 小题 was a simple exam question from the Four Books, and 大做 meant writing an overly elaborate essay for it.

小 xiǎo

题 tí

大 dà

做 zuò