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井底之蛙 (jǐng dǐ zhī wā) — a person of limited outlook and experience; someone with a narrow worldview

Definition

A chengyu from the Zhuangzi: literally 'a frog at the bottom of a well'. Used to call someone narrow-minded — they know only their small world and assume it's all there is.

phrase
a person of limited outlook and experiencesomeone with a narrow worldview

Examples

  • ，井底之蛙。
    Tā zǒng jué de zì jǐ zuì cōng ming, qí shí bú guò shì zhī jǐng dǐ zhī wā.
    He always thinks he's the smartest, but actually he's just a frog at the bottom of a well.
  • ，井底之蛙。
    Dú le zhè běn shū, wǒ cái yì shí dào zì jǐ yǐ qián zhēn shì jǐng dǐ zhī wā.
    After reading this book, I realized I had really been a frog at the bottom of a well before.
  • ，井底之蛙。
    Duō hé bù tóng de rén jiāo liú, cái néng bì miǎn chéng wéi jǐng dǐ zhī wā.
    Only by communicating with different people can you avoid becoming a frog at the bottom of a well.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 井 draws a square well with supports on four sides.

Open 井 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎngbuilding
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī底dǐ
Same sound today

底 pairs 广 (building) with 氐, pointing to the bottom or foundation of a building. Some read 氐 as a bowing figure or tree root, adding a sense of 'down'.

Open 底 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
虫虫chónginsect; creature
Sound part声符shēngfú
圭
圭guī蛙wā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蛙 is built from 虫 (creature) and 圭, which gives the sound clue.

Open 蛙 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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