牛不喝水强按头 in English niu2 bu4 he1 shui3 qiang3 an4 tou2 Meaning

Meanings

  • literally (word for word) to try to make an ox drink by forcing its head down to the water (idiomatic expression)
  • metaphorically to try to impose one's will on somebody

Simplified Characters

牛 不 喝 水 强 按 头

Traditional Characters

牛 不 喝 水 強 按 頭

Pinyin

niu2 bu4 he1 shui3 qiang3 an4 tou2

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

牛niu2surname Niu 不bu4(negative prefix) 喝he1to drink 水shui3surname Shui 强qiang2surname Qiang 按an4to press 头tou2head