drop in the bucket

English[edit]

First used in Wycliffe's Bible, from Isaiah 40:15.

drop in the bucket (plural drops in the bucket)

(idiomatic) Something of little importance, especially an inconsequential effort or action as compared to a huge problem.
Synonyms: drop in the ocean, drop in the sea, spit in the ocean; see also Thesaurus:trifle

A $100 donation from an individual is generous, but it is a drop in the bucket compared to the $100,000 fundraising goal.

an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem

Arabic: قَطْرَة فِي الْمُحِيط (qaṭra fī l-muḥīṭ)
Catalan: ^{(please verify)} una gota en un mar d'aigua (literally “a drop in a sea of water”)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 九牛一毛 (zh) (jiǔniúyīmáo), 杯水車薪／杯水车薪 (zh) (bēishuǐchēxīn), 滄海一粟／沧海一粟 (zh) (cānghǎiyīsù)
Czech: kapka v moři
Dutch: een druppel in de oceaan (literally “a drop in the ocean”), een druppel op de gloeiende plaat (literally “a drop on the hotplate”)
Finnish: pisara meressä
French: goutte d’eau dans l’océan (fr) (literally “drop of water in the ocean”)
Georgian: ზღვაში წვეთი (zɣvaši c̣veti)
German: ein Tropfen auf den heißen Stein (de) (literally “a drop on the hot stone”)
Hungarian: csepp a tengerben (literally “drop in the sea”), csepp az óceánban (literally “drop in the ocean”)
Icelandic: dropi í hafið
Japanese: 大海の一滴 (taikai-no itteki)
Maltese: qatra f’oċean
Polish: kropla w morzu (pl) (literally “a drop in the ocean”), kropla w morzu potrzeb (literally “a drop in the ocean of needs”)
Portuguese: gota d'água no oceano f (literally “drop of water in the ocean”)
Russian: ка́пля в мо́ре (ru) (káplja v móre)
Spanish: nimiedad (es) f
Swedish: en droppe i havet (sv)
Ukrainian: крапля в морі (kraplja v mori)
Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can