Chinese

{| style="clear: right;margin: 1em;border-collapse: collapse;text-align: center"

|- ! !warn; well

!

!'s; him/her/it; this !frog |- !simp. and trad.
(井底之蛙) | 井 | 底 | 之 | 蛙 |}

Idiom

井底之蛙

1. a person of very limited outlook and experience
   • c. 1330 - 1400: Luo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 113 (三國演義/第113回)

     汝乃井底之蛙，安知玄奧乎！

     You're (like) a frog at the bottom of a well (who can only see part of the sky), how would you know about anything that is profound!

   • 1784: Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber, Chapter 49 (紅樓夢/第049回)

     可知我井底之蛙，成日家只說現在的這幾個人是有一無二的。 (trad.)

     可知我井底之蛙，成日家只说现在的这几个人是有一无二的。 (simp.)

     You can tell that I am a frog at the bottom of a well. All day long, we just talk about how these few people are so unique.

Related terms

• 坐井觀天／坐井观天 (zuòjǐngguāntiān)

Descendants

• (Japanese) 井の中の蛙大海を知らず