糠に釘（ぬかにくぎ）
JLPT N1 · noun
Meaning: driving a nail into rice bran (futile effort)
Example sentences
- 何度言っても糠に釘だ。 — No matter how many times I tell him, it's like nailing bran—it has no effect at all.
- 彼を注意しても糠に釘だ。 — Even warning him is like hammering a nail into bran—completely useless.
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “糠に釘” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)