Proverb / Kotowaza
馬の耳に念仏
No matter how much advice or opinion you give, the listener ignores it and it has no effect.
Buddhist prayer to a horse's ear
Quick Answer
No matter how much advice or opinion you give, the listener ignores it and it has no effect.
- Literal Image
- Buddhist prayer to a horse's ear
- Closest Equivalent
- Preaching to the wind
- How to Use It
- Used to criticize or describe someone who is indifferent to advice or warnings, making communication a waste of time.
Meaning
This proverb describes a situation where valuable advice, warnings, or opinions are completely ignored by the listener. Just as a horse cannot appreciate the spiritual value of a sacred Buddhist prayer (nenbutsu), a person in this state fails to recognize the importance of what is being said, rendering the effort meaningless.
Literal Image
Buddhist prayer to a horse's ear
Equivalent Proverbs
Preaching to the wind
Both imply speaking to someone who does not listen or care.
How to Use It
Used to criticize or describe someone who is indifferent to advice or warnings, making communication a waste of time.
Tone
Critical and dismissive.
Examples
彼に注意しても馬の耳に念仏で、一向に態度が改まらない。
Even if I warn him, it's like a prayer to a horse's ear; his attitude doesn't improve at all.
いくら正論を説いても、今の彼には馬の耳に念仏だろう。
No matter how sound your argument is, it will probably be lost on him right now.
馬の耳に念仏にならないよう、真剣に話を聞く。
I will listen seriously so that the advice doesn't go in one ear and out the other.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The kanji for horse and ear are basic, but the word 'nenbutsu' and the idiomatic context require intermediate knowledge.
馬
うま / uma
horse
耳
みみ / mimi
ear
念仏
ねんぶつ / nenbutsu
Buddhist prayer; chanting the name of Buddha
Usage Profile
Usage note: It can sound quite insulting as it compares the listener to an animal lacking understanding.
Misread Risk
Do not use this to say the advice itself is bad; it means the listener is the one who makes the advice useless by ignoring it.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
The proverb comes from the image of chanting a sacred Buddhist prayer (nenbutsu) to a horse. Because the horse cannot understand the value or meaning of the prayer, the act is entirely wasted and meaningless.
Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
Situations
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Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.