对牛弹琴
对牛弹琴 (duì niú tán qín) literally means “play zither to cow” and expresses “present to wrong audience”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
Also searched as: dui niu tan qin, dui niu tan qin,对牛弹琴 meaning, 对牛弹琴 in english
Present to wrong audience
Pronunciation: duì niú tán qín
Literal meaning: Play zither to cow
Origin & Usage
This satirical idiom describes playing (弹) the guqin zither (琴) to (对) a cow (牛), originating from the Warring States period. Historical records attribute it to musician Gongming Yi, who attempted to perform sophisticated melodies for a cow that continued grazing, completely indifferent to the refined music. During the Han Dynasty, it became a standard metaphor in texts discussing audience appropriateness in communication. The specific reference to the guqin was meaningful as this instrument represented the height of cultural refinement. Unlike terms for general misunderstanding, it specifically describes sophisticated expression wasted on an unreceptive audience. Modern usage emphasizes the mismatch between advanced content and unprepared recipients.
Examples
English: "The professor's advanced theory completely confused the elementary students"
Chinese: 教授的高级理论让小学生完全困惑不解
Discover a new Chinese idiom every day with our iOS app.
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 对牛弹琴 mean in English?
对牛弹琴 (duì niú tán qín) literally translates to “Play zither to cow” and is used to express “Present to wrong audience”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 对牛弹琴 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving present to wrong audience.
What is the pinyin for 对牛弹琴?
The pinyin pronunciation for 对牛弹琴 is “duì niú tán qín”.