Shareables · HSK 3 · 文 · Culture
成语 · 对牛弹琴
Playing the lute to a cow. The wrong audience, not the wrong music.
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对牛弹琴duì niú tán qínto play the lute to a cow: to address someone who cannot follow
逐字 · CHARACTER BY CHARACTER
| Character | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 对 | duì | facing, towards |
| 牛 | niú | ox, cow |
| 弹 | tán | to play (a string instrument) |
| 琴 | qín | zither, lute |
The musician Gong Mingyi played a refined piece to an ox, which kept eating. Then he played sounds like a mosquito and a lost calf, and the ox lifted its head and listened. The music was never the problem.
用法 · IN USE
Gēn tā shuō zhèxiē shì duì niú tán qín.跟他说这些是对牛弹琴。Saying this to him is playing the lute to a cow.
What this card is
A one-page Chinese lesson from the HSK 3 set, filed under 文 · Culture. Playing the lute to a cow. The wrong audience, not the wrong music.
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Where it fits
The source: 对牛弹琴 in the dictionary.
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