Definition
对牛弹琴 (duì niú-tán qín) is a chengyu meaning 'to waste effort on someone who doesn't appreciate it' — like explaining something to a person who lacks the background or interest to understand. It's used when the listener is the problem, not the speaker's delivery. The English idiom 'cast pearls before swine' is close, but 对牛弹琴 focuses on the futility of the act, not the value of what's offered.
idiom
to waste effort on someone who doesn't appreciate itto cast pearls before swine
Examples
- ，对牛弹琴。Tā gēnběn bù dǒng yìshù, nǐ gěi tā jiǎng zhè fú huà jiǎnzhí jiù shì duì niú-tán qín.He doesn't understand art at all — explaining this painting to him is like casting pearls before swine.
- ，对牛弹琴？Duì zhèxiē méi xué guò wùlǐ de rén jiǎng xiāngduìlùn, bú shì duì niú-tán qín ma?Talking about relativity to people who haven't studied physics — isn't that like playing the lute to a cow?
- 对牛弹琴，。Bié duì niú-tán qín le, tā gēnběn tīng bu jìn qù.Don't waste your breath — he's not listening at all.
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