You can give someone knowledge, advice or an opportunity or try to make something easy for them, but you can’t force them to believe it, act on it, or benefit from it

Etymology:

  • This idiom originates from the 12th century when the main source of transportation was horses. The rider of the horse was well aware of the thirst of horse after a long distance especially on a hot day. Although you could take the horse to the cool banks of water, but that doesn’t mean that the horse will drink for sure. This expression has been used for centuries to refer to people who have been informed yet don't act on that knowledge.
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I told him about the various jobs available in our company, but he hasn’t applied for any of them. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.

Submitted on February 25, 2019

Modified by TriplePurple on December 01, 2023

Translation

Find a translation for the you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink phrase in other languages:

můžete vést koně k vodě, ale nemůžete ho donutit pít

puedes llevar un caballo al agua pero no puedes obligarlo a beber

vous pouvez conduire un cheval à l'eau mais vous ne pouvez pas le faire boire

vezetheted a lovat vízhez, de nem tudod megidézni

puoi condurre un cavallo all'acqua ma non puoi farlo bere

אתה יכול להוביל סוס למים אבל אתה לא יכול לגרום לו לשתות

je kunt een paard naar water leiden, maar je kunt hem niet laten drinken

atı suya götürebilirsin ama içmesini sağlayamazsın

ти можеш водити коня до води, але ти не можеш змусити його пити

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    "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/you-can-lead-a-horse-to-water-but-you-can't-make-him-drink_45143>.

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