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猫に小判

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Japanese

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Kanji in this term
ねこ
Grade: S

Grade: 1
ばん
Grade: 5
kun'yomi on'yomi

Etymology

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Phrase composed of (neko, cat, cats) + (ni, to, directional particle) + 小判 (koban, a kind of traditional gold coin).[1][2][3] Literally, gold coins to cats.

First cited to a text from 1687.[1]

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [ne̞ko̞ ɲ̟i ko̞bã̠ɴ]

Idiom

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(ねこ)()(ばん) (neko ni koban

  1. to give something valuable to someone who does not understand that value: to cast pearls before swine [1687]
    Synonyms: 豚に真珠 (buta ni shinju), 犬に論語 (inu ni Rongo), 馬耳東風 (baji tōfū), 馬の耳に念仏 (uma no mimi ni nenbutsu)

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ^ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN