电线杆子当筷子，大材小用電線杆子當筷子，大材小用電線杆子當筷子，大材小用

using a telegraph pole as chopsticks: big timber put to small use

Saying俗语俗語

Two-part saying歇后语歇後語 · Widely known

Meaning: A person of great ability wasted on a trivial job. Compare 'using a sledgehammer to crack a nut'.
Wordplay: 材 (cái) means both timber and talent, so big timber used small also means big talent wasted.

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Simplified: 电线杆子当筷子，大材小用
Traditional (Taiwan): 電線杆子當筷子，大材小用
Pinyin: diànxiàngān zi dàng kuàizi, dàcáixiǎoyòng
Pinyin (Taiwan): diànxiàngān zǐ dāng kuàizi, dàcáixiǎoyòng
Bopomofo: ㄉㄧㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄢㄗˇ ㄉㄤㄎㄨㄞˋ ˙ㄗ，ㄉㄚˋ ㄘㄞˊ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄩㄥˋ

Written with HSK 4 vocabulary, at CEFR level B1.

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