Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

đờn khảy tai trâu

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In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Plucking a lute at a buffalo's ear — refinement performed for an audience without the organ for it.

Literally: strumming at the buffalo's ear

Examples

Giảng nhạc cổ điển cho nó khác nào đờn khảy tai trâu.Explaining classical music to him — a lute at the buffalo's ear.

Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)

Sources & notes

Discovered via Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.

Common questions

What does “đờn khảy tai trâu” mean?

Plucking a lute at a buffalo's ear — refinement performed for an audience without the organ for it. Literally: strumming at the buffalo's ear

Is “đờn khảy tai trâu” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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