对牛弹琴

對牛彈琴

duìniú-tánqín

idiom HSK 7-9

Meanings

1 to play the lute to a cow
2 to address the wrong audience
3 to cast pearls before swine

Characters

to play (a stringed instrument)

zither / stringed instrument

Examples

HSK 5

跟他讲艺术简直是对牛弹琴。

Gēn tā jiǎng yìshù jiǎnzhí shì duìniú-tánqín.

Talking to him about art is like playing the lute to a cow.

HSK 6

他对物理毫无兴趣，你再解释也是对牛弹琴。

Tā duì wùlǐ háowú xìngqù, nǐ zài jiěshì yě shì duìniú-tánqín.

He has no interest in physics; no matter how much you explain, it is wasted effort.

Tips

history

From 牟融理惑论 (Han dynasty): musician Gongming Yi (公明仪) played a refined tune to an ox, which kept grazing. It was not that the ox could not hear, but that the music was not for its ears.

Stroke Order

对 duì

牛 niú

弹 dàn

琴 qín