鸡吃棉花，鹐絮雞吃棉花，鵮絮雞吃棉花，鵮絮

a chicken pecking cotton: pecks the wadding (modest, not conceited)

Saying俗语俗語

Two-part saying歇后语歇後語 · Rarely used now

Meaning: Describes someone modest who isn't self-satisfied. Approving.
Wordplay: 鹐 qiān (peck) puns on 谦 qiān (modest); 絮 xù (cotton wadding) sounds like 虚 xū (humble).

Sign up for a free account to save sentences and hear them read aloud

Simplified: 鸡吃棉花，鹐絮
Traditional (Taiwan): 雞吃棉花，鵮絮
Pinyin: jī chī miánhua, qiān xù
Bopomofo: ㄐㄧㄔㄇㄧㄢˊ ˙ㄏㄨㄚ，ㄑㄧㄢㄒㄩˋ

Written with HSK 7-9 vocabulary, at CEFR level C1.

Words in this sentence

Where this sentence is used

Chinese sayings

Sign up for a free Chinese Boost account

Save the words and sentences you find here to your own list, and hear them read aloud. You can export the list to your flashcards whenever you like.

Create a free account

All Chinese example sentences