杀鸡取卵(殺雞取卵)

Pronunciation: shā jī qǔ luǎn Literal meaning: Kill chicken take eggs

Origin & Usage

This idiom originated from Han Dynasty agricultural maxims, first appearing in economic discussions warning against sacrificing productive assets for immediate returns. During the Song Dynasty, it gained prominence in governmental policy debates about sustainable taxation. The metaphor of killing a hen (杀鸡) to extract all its eggs (取卵) at once was particularly instructive—hens produce eggs continuously when properly maintained, making their slaughter for a single collection catastrophically inefficient. Unlike terms simply meaning 'wasteful,' it specifically criticizes destroying sustainable income sources for immediate gain. Modern usage spans business practices to environmental policy, describing fundamentally unsustainable strategies that prioritize immediate returns over system preservation, particularly when apparently successful short-term results mask inevitable long-term collapse.

When to Use

Situation: The company maximized short-term profits by cutting essential research funding

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