諺語 · a single proverb
對牛彈琴
Simplified: 对牛弹琴
What does 對牛彈琴 (duì niú tán qín) mean?
對牛彈琴 (duì niú tán qín) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "playing the lute to a cow." In use it means: Speaking to an audience that cannot or will not understand. The problem is not the music. It is the listener. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.
Literally: "playing the lute to a cow."
The reading
The musician is talented. The cow is uninterested. The mismatch is the problem, not either party. Before you deliver a message, check whether the room can hear it. A brilliant argument in front of the wrong audience is a wasted afternoon.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Mouzi 牟子, 理惑論 (Han dynasty)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 對牛彈琴 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 對牛彈琴 (duì niú tán qín) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Mouzi 牟子, 理惑論 (Han dynasty). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 對牛彈琴?
In Mandarin it is duì niú tán qín. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 對牛彈琴 aloud in Mandarin.