How do you pronounce 以管窥天?

以管窥天 is pronounced yǐ guǎn kuī tiān in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 以管窥天 literally mean?

Literally, 以管窥天 means “to peep at the sky with a tube”. It is used to mean “to look at the sky through a bamboo tube”.

Where does 以管窥天 come from?

以管窥天 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 以管窥天?

管：竹管；窥：从小孔或缝隙里看。通过竹管子的孔看天。比喻见闻狭隘或看事片面。

以管窥天 — “To look at the sky through a bamboo tube”

以管窥天 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to look at the sky through a bamboo tube”. To have a very narrow or limited view of things; to see only a small part of a bigger picture, thus having a partial or incomplete understanding. Literally, “to peep at the sky with a tube”.

Frequency

以管窥天 Pronunciation and Pinyin

以yǐ
管guǎn
窥kuī
天tiān

以管窥天 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
以	yǐ	5	by means of
管	guǎn	14	manage or a tube
窥	kuī	13	peep, spy, glance
天	tiān	4	sky, heaven, day, nature

Example Sentence with 以管窥天

如果只看眼前的小困难，而不考虑长远的发展前景，那无异于是以管窥天。

If one only focuses on immediate small difficulties without considering long-term development prospects, it's no different from having a very narrow view.

Origin and Story of 以管窥天

During the Spring and Autumn period, the famous physician Bian Que passed through the state of Guo and heard that its Crown Prince had suddenly died.

He inquired about the Prince's symptoms from a middle official and concluded that the Prince was only in a state of suspended animation and could be revived. The official, however, was skeptical.

Bian Que criticized him, saying he was like 'looking at the sky through a bamboo tube,' meaning he had a very narrow and limited understanding. Bian Que then proceeded to perform acupuncture on the Prince's vital points.

Soon after, the Prince regained consciousness. After further treatment with herbal medicine, he fully recovered within 20 days.

Idioms Related to 以管窥天

Synonyms of 以管窥天

zuò坐jǐng井guān观tiān天have a limited outlook

More idioms starting with 以

Questions about 以管窥天

What does 以管窥天 mean?: 以管窥天 (yǐ guǎn kuī tiān) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to look at the sky through a bamboo tube”.
How do you pronounce 以管窥天?: 以管窥天 is pronounced yǐ guǎn kuī tiān in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 以管窥天 literally mean?: Literally, 以管窥天 means “to peep at the sky with a tube”. It is used to mean “to look at the sky through a bamboo tube”.
Where does 以管窥天 come from?: 以管窥天 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 以管窥天?: 管：竹管；窥：从小孔或缝隙里看。通过竹管子的孔看天。比喻见闻狭隘或看事片面。

Copy the pinyin for 以管窥天 →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.