Chinese Conversation · Level 82
61 words
Chinese word
风马牛不相及
Pronunciation
Pinyinfēng mǎ niú bù xiāng jí
Meaning
- idiombe completely unrelated
Example
他和那件事风马牛不相及，不要牵连他。tā hé nà jiàn shì fēng mǎ niú bù xiāng jí bú yào qiān lián tā
He has nothing to do with that matter; don't drag him into it.
More examples
这个理由和问题风马牛不相及，不能作为借口。zhè ge lǐ yóu hé wèn tí fēng mǎ niú bù xiāng jí bù néng zuò wéi jiè kǒu
This reason has nothing to do with the problem, so it cannot be used as an excuse.
Core concept
Two things move on separate paths so completely that no link joins them.
Common phrases
和这件事风马牛不相及hé zhè jiàn shì fēng mǎ niú bù xiāng jí
have nothing to do with this matter
说明两者风马牛不相及shuō míng liáng zhě fēng mǎ niú bù xiāng jí
show that the two have nothing to do with each other
Similar words
毫不相干háo bù xiāng gān: States that there is no relation at all between people, things, or matters.
无关紧要wú guān jǐn yào: Marks a matter as unrelated to the issue and of little importance.
无关痛痒wú guān tòng yǎng: Describes a matter as having little bearing on the issue or its result.
Definition in Chinese
用来形容两件事物完全无关，互不牵连，毫无联系或关联。yòng lái xíng róng liǎng jiàn shì wù wán quán wú guān hù bù qiān lián háo wú lián xì huò guān lián
Word origin
The classical wording 风马牛不相及 (fēngmǎniúbùxiāngjí, "horses and cattle do not reach each other") turns animals that cannot find one another into an image for matters with no relationship.
Usage tips
- For conversational learners, this idiom is worth recognizing because it is more common in written comments and formal discussion than in relaxed everyday talk.