杀鸡取卵 (shājīqǔluǎn): to kill the hen to get the eggs

Meanings

1 to kill the hen to get the eggs
2 to destroy the source of future gain for short-term profit
3 to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

Characters

杀

Examples

过度砍伐森林是杀鸡取卵的做法。

Guòdù kǎnfá sēnlín shì shājīqǔluǎn de zuòfǎ.

Over-logging forests is killing the hen for her eggs.

为了短期利润而杀鸡取卵是不明智的。

Wèile duǎnqī lìrùn ér shājīqǔluǎn shì bù míngzhì de.

Sacrificing long-term value for short-term profit is unwise.

Tips

history

From Aesop's Fables (《伊索寓言》). The Chinese idiom is the direct calque of 'the goose that laid the golden eggs'.

memory

杀 kill + 鸡 chicken + 取 take + 卵 eggs — picture killing a hen to grab the eggs inside, and then having no more eggs.

Stroke Order

杀 shā

鸡 jī

取 qǔ

卵 luǎn

Related Words

杀人灭口 shārénmièkǒu

to kill someone to silence them; to murder a witness to destroy evidence

获取 huòqǔ HSK 4 #5,613

to acquire; to obtain / to gain; to get

杀害 shāhài HSK 7 #1,815

to murder / to kill (with malicious intent)

杀人 shārén #986

to kill someone / to murder / to commit murder

杀死 shāsǐ #981

to kill / to put to death

杀 shā HSK 5 #180

to kill; to murder / to slaughter; to fight

枪杀 qiāngshā #4,151

to shoot dead / to gun down / to kill by shooting

杀光 shāguāng #9,004

to kill off; to wipe out; to slaughter completely / to exterminate

取 qǔ HSK 2 #1,245

to take / to get / to fetch

寿光鸡 shòuguāngjī

Shouguang chicken (Shandong local chicken breed, known for black plumage and large eggs)