# 马耳东风

mǎ ěr dōng fēng

Words that receive no attention

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** An east wind at a horse's ears

**Traditional Chinese:** 馬耳東風

**Register:** Literary · formal

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Describe advice or remarks that someone treats as inconsequential.

Usually critical; it is not a neutral description of listening.

## The image & its use

A breeze passes a horse's ears without becoming an instruction to remember. The expression uses that image for words that reach a person but make little impression. Advice can be repeated clearly and still fail to influence a choice. The phrase is often literary and carries criticism of that indifference. Before using it, consider whether the listener actually understood the advice, had a chance to respond, or simply needed a different explanation. Observable inattention is a safer basis than guessed motives.

## Examples

提醒了几次，他仍把整理书桌的建议当作马耳东风。

### Traditional Chinese

提醒了幾次，他仍把整理書桌的建議當作馬耳東風。

tí xǐng le jǐ cì ， tā réng bǎ zhěng lǐ shū zhuō de jiàn yì dàng zuò mǎ ěr dōng fēng 。

Despite several reminders, he paid no attention to the advice to tidy his desk.

这些建议对他来说如同马耳东风。

### Traditional Chinese

這些建議對他來說如同馬耳東風。

zhè xiē jiàn yì duì tā lái shuō rú tóng mǎ ěr dōng fēng 。

Those suggestions made no impression on him.

别把合理的提醒当作马耳东风。

### Traditional Chinese

別把合理的提醒當作馬耳東風。

bié bǎ hé lǐ de tí xǐng dàng zuò mǎ ěr dōng fēng 。

Do not brush aside reasonable reminders.

她认真记下反馈，没有让它变成马耳东风。

### Traditional Chinese

她認真記下反饋，沒有讓它變成馬耳東風。

tā rèn zhēn jì xià fǎn kuì ， méi yǒu ràng tā biàn chéng mǎ ěr dōng fēng 。

She carefully recorded the feedback instead of letting it pass unnoticed.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 7, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=1179&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E9%A6%AC%E8%80%B3%E6%9D%B1%E9%A2%A8)

## Keep exploring

- [麻木不仁 má mù bù rén Be emotionally insensitive or indifferent ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ma-mu-bu-ren)

- [马首是瞻 mǎ shǒu shì zhān Follow someone’s lead as one’s guide ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ma-shou-shi-zhan)

- [满城风雨 mǎn chéng fēng yǔ An issue becomes widely discussed and sensational ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/man-cheng-feng-yu)

- [满面春风 mǎn miàn chūn fēng Look visibly happy and cheerful ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/man-mian-chun-feng)

## Keep this one close.

Save useful idioms, read offline, and revisit them with flashcards in Almanac.

[View on the App Store ](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6819590452)

[Previous idiom 络绎不绝 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/luo-yi-bu-jue) [Next idiom 麻木不仁 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ma-mu-bu-ren)