馬の耳に念仏

Meaning: Wasted advice on someone who won't listen.

Language: Japanese

Literally: A Buddhist prayer in a horse's ear

Category: Animals

Origin: Japanese proverb, referencing futile Buddhist preaching.

More idioms — Animals

• 雀の涙 — A pitifully small amount.
• 対牛弾琴 — Wasting effort on an unappreciative audience.
• 蛇足 — Something completely unnecessary; a superfluous addition.
• 猫に小判 — Giving something valuable to someone who can't appreciate it.
• Estar en la edad del pavo — To be at an awkward teenage phase.
• Estar como una cabra — To be completely crazy.

More Japanese idioms

• 口が滑る — To accidentally let something slip.
• 杞憂 — Unnecessary worry about things that won't happen; baseless anxiety.
• 傍若無人 — Behaving without regard for others' feelings or presence around you.
• 一期一会 — Treasure each encounter as unique and irreplaceable in life.
• 四面楚歌 — Being surrounded by enemies with no hope of escape or support.
• 鯖を読む — To fudge the numbers in your favor, especially your age.

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