1. 九牛一毛 (jiǔ niú yī máo) – a drop in the bucket

Example Sentence:

他的捐款对这个大项目来说只是九牛一毛。

Tā de juānkuǎn duì zhè gè dà xiàngmù láishuō zhǐ shì jiǔ niú yī máo.

His donation is just a drop in the bucket for this big project.

Explanation:

This idiom means something is insignificant or a tiny part of a much larger whole, like one hair from nine cows. It is often used to describe a small amount compared to a vast quantity.

• 九 (jiǔ): Nine, used to indicate a large number.
• 牛 (niú): Cow, symbolizing something large or numerous.
• 一 (yī): One, indicating a single unit.
• 毛 (máo): Hair, representing something small or trivial.

2. 抛砖引玉 (pāo zhuān yǐn yù) – to offer a humble opinion to elicit better ideas

Example Sentence:

我先抛砖引玉，谈谈我的看法，希望大家提出更好的建议。

Wǒ xiān pāo zhuān yǐn yù, tántán wǒ de kànfǎ, xīwàng dàjiā tíchū gèng hǎo de jiànyì.

Let me offer a humble opinion to elicit better suggestions from everyone.

Explanation:

This idiom refers to presenting a modest or simple idea (like throwing a brick) to encourage others to share more valuable or brilliant ideas (like jade). It is used to humbly invite better contributions.

• 抛 (pāo): To throw or cast.