Word information
Simplified对牛弹琴
Traditional對牛彈琴
Pinyinduìniú-tánqín
Part of speechGeneral
HSK 3.07-9
HSK 2.0Not listed
Chinese word dictionary
对牛弹琴
duìniú-tánqín · lit. to play the lute to a cow (idiom); fig. offering a treat to an unappreciative audience; to cast pearls before swine; caviar to the general; to preach to deaf ears; to talk over sb's head
Character breakdown
Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.
How to learn 对牛弹琴
Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.
When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.
Related vocabulary
Words with the same characters
Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.
对duì
right; correct; towards; at; for; concerning; regarding; to treat (sb a certain way); to face; (bound form) opposite; facing; matching; to match together; to adjust; to fit; to suit; to answer; to reply; to add; to pour in (a fluid); to check; to compare; classifier: couple; pair
对不起duìbuqǐI'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint
牛奶niúnǎicow's milk; CL:瓶[ping2],杯[bei1]
对话duìhuàto talk (with sb); dialogue; conversation
牛niúox; cow; bull; CL:條|条[tiao2],頭|头[tou2]; newton (abbr. for 牛頓|牛顿[niu2 dun4]); (slang) awesome; surname Niu
对方duìfāngthe other person; the other side; the other party