Bedeutung
Investing a lot for a small result
Kultureller Hintergrund
The elephant is the national animal of Thailand and appears on the royal navy flag. Using it in a proverb about waste shows how much Thais value the proper use of this majestic creature. In Thai offices, calling a project 'Khī̀ chāng chap tạ́kkatæn' is a common way for senior management to signal that a budget is being rejected for being too high relative to the goal. Grasshoppers are actually a popular snack in Thailand (fried grasshoppers). The irony is that you can buy them for a few baht, making the 'elephant' investment even more ridiculous. This is one of the first 10 proverbs Thai children learn in primary school. It is used to teach the concept of 'proportionality' and 'reasoning' (Hét-Phŏn).
Use it for humor
It's a great way to tease a friend who is being 'extra' or over-preparing for something simple.
Don't change the animals
Even if you think a 'truck' and an 'ant' makes more sense, the proverb is fixed. Stick to the elephant and grasshopper.
Bedeutung
Investing a lot for a small result
Use it for humor
It's a great way to tease a friend who is being 'extra' or over-preparing for something simple.
Don't change the animals
Even if you think a 'truck' and an 'ant' makes more sense, the proverb is fixed. Stick to the elephant and grasshopper.
Business context
Use 'เป็นการขี่ช้างจับตั๊กแตน' (pen-kan...) to sound more professional and objective when critiquing a budget.
The 'Elephant' status
Remember that the elephant implies power. Using this phrase suggests the person *has* power but is using it poorly.
Teste dich selbst
Which situation best describes 'ขี่ช้างจับตั๊กแตน'?
A person wants to hang a small picture on the wall. What do they do?
Hiring a crane and 20 workers for a small picture is a massive over-investment of resources.
Fill in the missing words to complete the proverb.
ขี่___จับ___
The correct animals are 'ช้าง' (elephant) and 'ตั๊กแตน' (grasshopper).
Match the response to the situation.
Situation: Somchai buys a professional $10,000 drone just to take a photo of his lunch.
Using a $10,000 drone for a lunch photo is the definition of overkill.
Complete the dialogue.
A: ฉันจะจ้างทนาย 5 คนเพื่อทวงเงินเพื่อน 100 บาท B: อย่าทำเลย มันเหมือน...
Hiring 5 lawyers for 100 baht is a classic 'elephant and grasshopper' scenario.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Effort vs. Result
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenA person wants to hang a small picture on the wall. What do they do?
Hiring a crane and 20 workers for a small picture is a massive over-investment of resources.
ขี่___จับ___
The correct animals are 'ช้าง' (elephant) and 'ตั๊กแตน' (grasshopper).
Situation: Somchai buys a professional $10,000 drone just to take a photo of his lunch.
Using a $10,000 drone for a lunch photo is the definition of overkill.
A: ฉันจะจ้างทนาย 5 คนเพื่อทวงเงินเพื่อน 100 บาท B: อย่าทำเลย มันเหมือน...
Hiring 5 lawyers for 100 baht is a classic 'elephant and grasshopper' scenario.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNot inherently. It's a critique of logic, not a personal insult. However, use it carefully with superiors.
Yes! 'ฉันรู้สึกเหมือนขี่ช้างจับตั๊กแตนเลย' (I feel like I'm riding an elephant to catch a grasshopper) is a common way to admit you're over-complicating things.
There isn't a direct single-word opposite, but 'ทำน้อยได้มาก' (Do little, get much) is the desired outcome.
Yes, it's a 'classic' that never goes out of style, though they might use it more sarcastically.
No, it can be about time, emotions, or the number of people involved.
People will understand you, but it's not the standard proverb. It sounds like a mistake.
Not really, but in a conversation, you can just say 'ขี่ช้างจับตั๊กแตนชัดๆ' (Clearly riding an elephant to catch a grasshopper).
Because they are small, jump around, and are generally considered trivial to catch compared to a large animal.
Very often, especially when the government spends a lot on a small project.
Yes, it is considered a 'Supa-sit' (proverb), which is high-level Thai.
Verwandte Redewendungen
ตำน้ำพริกละลายแม่น้ำ
similarTo waste resources on something that yields no result.
ฆ่าควายเสียดายพริก
contrastTo do a big job but fail because you were stingy with small details.
เอาพิมเสนไปแลกกับเกลือ
similarTo trade something valuable for something cheap (or to argue with someone beneath you).
เข็นครกขึ้นภูเขา
contrastTo do a very difficult task that is almost impossible.
