蜗牛国

蝸牛國

wōniúguó

phrase

Meanings

1 a snail kingdom
2 a tiny, trivial country (as small as a snail's horn)
3 a small-minded polity

Characters

ox (in 蜗牛 = snail)

Examples

HSK 5

两方为一块地争得不可开交，活像两个蜗牛国。

Liǎng fāng wèi yīkuài dì zhēngde bùkěkāijiāo, huóxiàng liǎng ge wōniúguó.

The two sides fought tooth and nail over a patch of land - like two snail kingdoms at war.

HSK 7-9

蜗牛国争锋，不过是方寸之间的事。

Wōniúguó zhēng fēng, bùguò shì fāng cùn zhījiān de shì.

Snail kingdoms vying for supremacy - it's all a fight over an inch of ground.

Tips

history

Echoes the 庄子 tale of two kingdoms on the left and right horns of a snail (触蛮之争) - a parable mocking the pettiness of territorial wars. Use to belittle a conflict as small-minded.

Stroke Order

蜗 wō

牛 niú

国 guó