A1 Proverb 中性

馬の耳に念仏

uma no mimi ni nenbutsu

Preaching to deaf ears

Phrase in 30 Seconds

This proverb describes the futility of giving advice to someone who refuses to listen or understand.

  • Means: Giving advice to someone who ignores it completely.
  • Used in: Frustrating conversations where your words have no effect.
  • Don't confuse: It is not about being rude, but about the listener's lack of receptivity.
Horse + Prayer = Ignored Advice

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means giving advice to someone who does not listen. It is like talking to a wall. Use it when you are frustrated.
When you try to help someone but they ignore you, you can say this. It comes from the idea that a horse cannot understand prayers.
This proverb describes the futility of communication when the listener is unwilling. It is often used to express exasperation after repeated failed attempts to offer guidance or wisdom to a stubborn person.
The phrase serves as a metaphor for the disconnect between a well-intentioned speaker and an unreceptive audience. It emphasizes that the value of the message is irrelevant if the recipient lacks the capacity or willingness to process it.
Rooted in Buddhist iconography, this idiom functions as a critique of intellectual or moral stubbornness. It highlights the communicative failure inherent in situations where the recipient is fundamentally closed off to external influence, rendering the speaker's efforts entirely redundant.
This proverb encapsulates the cognitive and social barriers to effective persuasion. By invoking the image of a horse—a creature incapable of grasping metaphysical concepts—it provides a poignant, culturally embedded shorthand for the futility of discourse in the face of absolute non-receptivity.

意思

Chanting prayers to a horse's ear. Giving advice to someone who will not listen.

🌍

文化背景

Reflects the Buddhist influence on daily language. Similar concepts exist but use 'wall' instead of 'horse'.

💡

Use with caution

Don't use it to someone's face unless you are very close.

意思

Chanting prayers to a horse's ear. Giving advice to someone who will not listen.

💡

Use with caution

Don't use it to someone's face unless you are very close.

自我测试

Which phrase means 'talking to someone who won't listen'?

Choose the correct idiom.

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： {馬|うま}の{耳|みみ}に{念仏|ねんぶつ}

The first option is the correct proverb for ignored advice.

🎉 得分： /1

视觉学习工具

常见问题

1 个问题

It can be, if used to someone's face.

相关表达

🔗

{猫|ねこ}に{小判|こばん}

similar

Giving gold to a cat.

在哪里用

😤

Frustrated Friend

A: He won't listen to my advice!

B: Well, it's {馬|うま}の{耳|みみ}に{念仏|ねんぶつ}だね.

informal
💼

Work Venting

Colleague: I told the manager about the error.

You: And?

Colleague: It was {馬|うま}の{耳|みみ}に{念仏|ねんぶつ}.

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Imagine a horse wearing headphones, ignoring a monk chanting loudly.

Visual Association

A horse grazing peacefully while a monk chants in its ear, the horse completely ignoring him.

Story

Kenji tried to tell his brother to study. He spoke for an hour. His brother just played games. Kenji sighed, 'It's like chanting to a horse.'

Word Web

{馬|うま}{耳|みみ}{念仏|ねんぶつ}{無駄|むだ}{頑固|がんこ}{聞|き}く{耳|みみ}

挑战

Identify one situation today where someone didn't listen to you and say the phrase in your head.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Hablarle a la pared

Spanish uses a wall; Japanese uses a horse.

French high

Parler à un mur

French is more direct about the 'wall' barrier.

German high

Mit einer Wand reden

German uses 'mit' (with), implying a failed attempt at dialogue.

Japanese self

馬の耳に念仏

It is more specific than just 'a wall'.

Arabic moderate

كأنك تنفخ في رماد

Arabic focuses on the futility of the action rather than the listener's stubbornness.

Easily Confused

馬の耳に念仏 对比 {馬|うま}の{耳|みみ}に{風|かぜ}

Both use 'horse' and 'ear'.

Kaze (wind) is softer; Nenbutsu (prayer) is more about ignored advice.

常见问题 (1)

It can be, if used to someone's face.

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