對牛彈琴

See also: 对牛弹琴

Chinese

		couple; pair; to be opposite couple; pair; to be opposite; to oppose; to face; for; to; correct (answer); to answer; to reply; to direct (towards sth); right	ox; cow; bull	to play certain musical instruments that can be described as, such as some stringed instruments, or a keyboard instrument
trad. (對牛彈琴)		對	牛	彈琴
simp. (对牛弹琴)		对	牛	弹琴
Literally: “playing the zither to a cow”.

Etymology

From the story of the Warring States-era musician Gongming Yi (公明儀) playing the zither to a cow, recorded in Mouzi Lihuolun [circa 3rd century CE].

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): duìniútánqín

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄨㄟˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄊㄢˊ ㄑㄧㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): deoi³ ngau⁴ taan⁴ kam⁴
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): tui-ngiù-thàn-khìm
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): tùi-gû-tôaⁿ-khîm

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: duìniútánqín
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄨㄟˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄊㄢˊ ㄑㄧㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: duèinióutáncín
    • Wade–Giles: tui⁴-niu²-tʻan²-chʻin²
    • Yale: dwèi-nyóu-tán-chín
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dueynioutarnchyn
    • Palladius: дуйнютаньцинь (dujnjutanʹcinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tu̯eɪ̯⁵¹ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ tʰän³⁵ t͡ɕʰin³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: deoi³ ngau⁴ taan⁴ kam⁴
    • Yale: deui ngàuh tàahn kàhm
    • Cantonese Pinyin: doey³ ngau⁴ taan⁴ kam⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: dêu³ ngeo⁴ tan⁴ kem⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɵy̯³³ ŋɐu̯²¹ tʰaːn²¹ kʰɐm²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: tui-ngiù-thàn-khìm
    • Hakka Romanization System: dui ngiuˇ tanˇ kimˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: dui⁴ ngiu² tan² kim²
    • Sinological IPA: /tu̯i⁵⁵ ŋi̯u¹¹ tʰan¹¹ kʰim¹¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tùi-gû-tôaⁿ-khîm
    • Tâi-lô: tuì-gû-tuânn-khîm
    • Phofsit Daibuun: duie'gu'dvoa'qiim
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tui²¹⁻⁵³ ɡu²⁴⁻²² tuã²⁴⁻²² kʰim²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tui⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ ɡu²⁴⁻²² tuã²⁴⁻²² kʰim²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tui²¹⁻⁵³ ɡu¹³⁻²² tuã¹³⁻²² kʰim¹³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /tui¹¹⁻⁵³ ɡu²⁴⁻¹¹ tuã²⁴⁻¹¹ kʰim²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tui²¹⁻⁴¹ ɡu²³⁻³³ tuã²³⁻³³ kʰim²³/

Idiom

(deprecated template usage) 對牛彈琴

1. like talking to a brick wall; like casting pearls before swine; offering a treat to someone who is unable to appreciate it (because they are uncultured or unromantic)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (對牛彈琴):

• → Korean: 대우탄금(對牛彈琴) (dae'utan'geum)
• → Vietnamese: đối ngưu đàn cầm (對牛彈琴)

Others:

• → Japanese: 牛(うし)に対(たい)して琴(こと)を弾(だん)ず (ushi ni tai shite koto o danzu) (calque)
• → Vietnamese: đàn gảy tai trâu (calque)
• → Thai: สีซอให้ควายฟัง (sǐi-sɔɔ-hâi-kwaai-fang) (calque)