杀鸡取卵

Traditional form:

殺雞取卵

Pinyin (reading):

shājīqǔluǎn

Definitions:

• lit. to kill the chicken to get the eggs (idiom)
• fig. to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

Characters:

• 杀 - to kill, to murder, to slaughter; to hurt
• 鸡 - chicken
• 取 - to take, to receive, to obtain; to select
• 卵 - egg, ovum, roe; ovary, testes; to spawn

Traditional characters:

• 殺 - to kill, to murder, to slaughter; to hurt
• 雞 - chicken
• 取 - to take, to receive, to obtain; to select
• 卵 - egg, ovum, roe; ovary, testes; to spawn