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井底之蛙
井底之蛙
井底之蛙
井底之蛙
井底之蛙
井底之蛙
井底之蛙
井底之蛙
井底之蛙
井底之蛙

井底之蛙 — “A person with a very limited outlook or narrow perspective”

井底之蛙 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a person with a very limited outlook or narrow perspective”. Someone who is ignorant of the outside world due to their restricted environment. Literally, “Frog at the bottom of a well”.

Frequency

井底之蛙 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • 井jǐng
  • 底dǐ
  • 之zhī
  • 蛙wā

井底之蛙 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
井
jǐng4a well
底
dǐ8bottom; base; background
之
zhī4possessive or connective particle
蛙
wā12frog

Example Sentence with 井底之蛙

如果一个人只固守在自己的小圈子里,不出去走走看看,就很容易成为井底之蛙。
If a person confines themselves to their small circle and doesn't venture out to see the world, they can easily become like a frog at the bottom of a well.

Origin and Story of 井底之蛙

Once upon a time, there lived a frog in an abandoned well. One day, the frog met a large sea turtle that had come from the ocean.

The frog proudly boasted to the sea turtle, “Look how happy I am living here! Sometimes when I'm in a good mood, I jump around the well curb; when I'm tired, I return to the well and sleep in a brick hole. Or I just leave my head and mouth out, soaking my whole body quietly in the water. Sometimes I even take a comfortable stroll in the soft mud. No shrimp or tadpole can compare to me! Moreover, I am the master of this well, enjoying complete freedom here. Why don't you come often to visit and enjoy my well?”

The sea turtle was intrigued by the frog's words and actually wanted to go in and see. But before its left foot was fully in, its right foot got caught. It quickly retreated two steps and told the frog about the ocean: “Have you ever seen the sea? The ocean's vastness is more than a thousand miles; its depth is more than a thousand zhang. In ancient times, even when there were floods nine out of ten years, the ocean's water didn't rise much; later, during seven out of eight years of drought, the ocean's water didn't noticeably shallow. This shows that the ocean is unaffected by droughts or floods. Living in such a vast ocean is true happiness!”

The well frog listened to the sea turtle's words, utterly astonished, and had nothing more to say.

Idioms Related to 井底之蛙

Synonyms of 井底之蛙

  • yī一kǒng孔zhī之jiàn见a narrow and limited perspective
  • zuò坐jǐng井guān观tiān天have a limited outlook

Antonyms of 井底之蛙

  • jiàn见duō多shí识guǎng广experienced and knowledgeable

More idioms starting with 井

  • jǐng井zhōng中qiú求huǒ火seek fire in a well
  • jǐng井zhōng中shì视xīng星narrow perspective
  • jǐng井jǐng井yǒu有xù序in perfect order
  • jǐng井jǐng井yǒu有fāng方well organized and methodical
  • jǐng井jǐng井yǒu有tiáo条well organized and systematic
  • jǐng井jǐng井yǒu有fǎ法orderly and systematic
  • jǐng井jǐng井yǒu有lǐ理orderly and logical
  • jǐng井jǐng井yǒu有xù绪well organized and methodical
  • jǐng井dǐ底xiā虾má蟆a person with a very limited outlook
  • jǐng井dǐ底há蛤má蟆a person with a narrow outlook
  • jǐng井dǐ底yín银píng瓶all previous efforts wasted
  • jǐng井dǐ底míng鸣wā蛙a person with a narrow outlook

Questions about 井底之蛙

What does 井底之蛙 mean?
井底之蛙 (jǐng dǐ zhī wā) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a person with a very limited outlook or narrow perspective”.
How do you pronounce 井底之蛙?
井底之蛙 is pronounced jǐng dǐ zhī wā in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 井底之蛙 literally mean?
Literally, 井底之蛙 means “Frog at the bottom of a well”. It is used to mean “a person with a very limited outlook or narrow perspective”.
Where does 井底之蛙 come from?
井底之蛙 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 井底之蛙?
井底的蛙只能看到井口那么大的一块天。比喻见识狭窄的人。
Copy the pinyin for 井底之蛙 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.

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