Skip to content
duì 对 niú 牛 tán 弹 qín 琴

对牛弹琴 duì niú tán qín

to cast pearls before swine; to talk to someone who cannot understand

Literally: toward ox play zither

Intermediate 🐉 Animals & fables
🃏 Practise intermediate chengyu

Tap a character above to see its stroke order and the words it appears in.

Origin

From Mouzi's Lihuolun (Han dynasty): the musician Gongming Yi played an elegant tune to an ox, which went on grazing until he imitated the sounds of flies and calves.

How to use it

Predicate; negative, sometimes self-mocking. Often 跟他说这些简直是对牛弹琴.

Example sentences

Show:

Tap any word for its meaning and pinyin. The chengyu is highlighted.

  1. 跟他讲古典音乐，简直是对牛弹琴。
    Gēn tā jiǎng gǔdiǎn yīnyuè, jiǎnzhí shì duì niú tán qín.
    Talking to him about classical music is casting pearls before swine.
    with him talk classical music, simply is toward ox play zither
  2. 我给三岁的儿子解释什么是经济，真是对牛弹琴。
    Wǒ gěi sān suì de érzi jiěshì shénme shì jīngjì, zhēnshi duì niú tán qín.
    Explaining economics to my three-year-old was like playing a zither to an ox.
    I to three year-old (particle) son explain what is economy, truly toward ox play zither

More chengyu about animals & fables

All animals & fables chengyu →