Chinese word

井底之蛙

Pronunciation

Pinyinjǐng dǐ zhī wā

Meaning

  • idiomfrog in a well

Example

别做一个井底之蛙，多看看外面。bié zuò yí gè jíng dǐ zhī wā duō kàn kàn wài miàn

Don't be a frog in a well; see more of the world outside.

Illustration for 井底之蛙 (frog in a well)

More examples

他读得很少，像井底之蛙一样，眼界很窄。tā dú de hén shǎo xiàng jíng dǐ zhī wā yí yàng yǎn jiè hén zhǎi

He reads very little and, like a frog in a well, has a very narrow outlook.

Core concept

A person or viewpoint sees only a small patch of sky and mistakes it for the whole world.

Common phrases

  • 像井底之蛙一样xiàng jíng dǐ zhī wā yí yàng

    like a frog in a well

  • 做井底之蛙zuò jíng dǐ zhī wā

    be a frog in a well

  • 当个井底之蛙dāng gè jíng dǐ zhī wā

    be a frog in a well

Similar words

坐井观天zuò jǐng guān tiān: Refers to seeing only a limited part of the world and believing that it is the whole picture.

Definition in Chinese

比喻局限于狭小环境而无法认识更大世界的人或观念，既可用作批评也可用作自我警戒。bǐ yù jú xiàn yú xiá xiǎo huán jìng ér wú fǎ rèn shí gèng dà shì jiè de rén huò guān niàn jì kě yòng zuò pī píng yě kě yòng zuò zì wǒ jǐng jiè

Word origin

井底之蛙 (jǐngdǐzhīwā, "frog in a well") comes from the traditional contrast between a frog's confined view and the vast world beyond the well.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, the idiom can sound sharp when it labels someone else, while using it for one's own limits makes it a gentler warning.

Opposites

  • 见多识广jiàn duō shí guǎngwell-informed and widely experiencedidiom

Related words

  • 井底jíng dǐbottom of a wellnoun
  • 井底之见jíng dǐ zhī jiànrestricted viewidiom

Word lists with this word