猫に小判
Japanese
| Kanji in this term | ||
|---|---|---|
| 猫 | 小 | 判 |
| ねこ Grade: S | こ Grade: 1 | ばん Grade: 5 |
Etymology
Phrase composed of 猫 (neko, “cat, cats”) + に (ni, “to”, directional particle) + 小判 (koban, a kind of traditional gold coin). Literally, “gold coins to cats”.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ne̞ko̞ ɲ̟i ko̞bã̠ɴ]
Idiom
猫に小判 (hiragana ねこにこばん, rōmaji neko ni koban)
- cast pearls before swine
Synonyms
- 豚に真珠 (buta ni shinju): pearls before swine