kaikua kuuroille korville

Finnish

Etymology

kaikua (“to echo”) + kuuroille (“to deaf”) + korville (“to ears”)

Verb

kaikua kuuroille korville

1. (idiomatic) to fall on deaf ears (of a request, complaint, statement, etc, to be ignored)
2. (idiomatic) to turn a deaf ear (to refuse to listen or hear something)

   Yritin puhua hänelle, mutta se kaikui kuuroille korville.

   I tried to speak to her, but she turned a deaf ear.

Usage notes

• (turn a deaf ear): The construction is slightly different in English and in Finnish. In English the listener actively turns a deaf ear, but in Finnish the speaker's words echo over deaf ears. The meaning is the same. See examples above.