📖 Meaning
To waste one's words or efforts on someone who cannot understand or appreciate them. Talking over someone's head.
📜 Origin Story
A musician played beautiful music for a cow, but the cow only cared about eating grass—the music was wasted on a listener who couldn't understand it.
💡 Example Usage
跟他讲哲学就是白费口舌，对牛弹琴。
Explaining philosophy to him is like playing the lute to a cow—a waste of breath.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 对牛弹琴
- Pinyin: duì niú tán qín
- Literal Translation: play lute to cow
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4