Ever feel like you were talking to a brick wall?  Do I have a Chinese idiom for you!  It is “对牛弹琴”( Duì niú tán qín) .  Translated it literally means “play the lute to a cow”.

Ways to say  in 对牛弹琴 English:

How would we say “play the lute to a cow”  in English?  Here are a few suggestions:

• “Casting your pearls before swine.”
• “It’s like talking to a brick wall.”

If you can think of another way to say it, please leave a comment below.

The story behind 对牛弹琴

During the Warring States Period in Chinese history, there was a musician named Gong MingYi  (公明    仪)  was a master of the Chinese zither.   People truly appreciated his musical ability, he basked in the applause and praise.

One day, he wanted to pass the time in the quiet of the countryside where he could practice undisturbed.   He spotted a cow grazing in the pasture and he all of a sudden decided he would play a song for that cow.

He was so inspired by the challenge of moving the cow emotionally that he played his favorite song with the best performance of his life.  Surely the cow would be impressed!

The cow just kept grazing and did not notice a thing.  Gong Mingyi was stunned!   How could that cow not be moved!  What was wrong with it?  How could the cow not appreciate such elegant music?!

Gong Mingyi tried several different compositions, each played brilliantly.   Still, the cow showed no emotion, it just kept grazing.

Gong Mingyi by this time was frustrated and started to doubt his ability.

But a passerby, offered words of encouragement.  Perhaps the passerby was a fan.    “It is not because you are a bad musician.  Far from it.  It is just that the cow simply cannot understand music.”

The gist of 对牛弹琴

In general, 对牛弹琴  can be used when a speaker or writer has over-estimated the intelligence of his listeners or readers. In such cases, 对牛弹琴  is meant to mock the audience rather than the speaker.

Learn more Chinese!

This article linked to an explanation of the this idiom at  eChineseLearning.com.   If you want to have one-on-one Chinese instruction by a professional teacher, click here for a free 30 minute consultation.  Tell them that Dave Landis sent you, and you’ll get an extra week’s worth of lessons for free!