Frog in the Well: 5 Ways to Use the Chinese Idiom
While learning Chinese, have you ever wondered how the Chinese express the phrases “living under a rock” or “sticking your head in the sand”?
If you’ve heard of the Chinese idiom “The Frog at the Bottom of the Well” (井底之蛙 Jǐngdǐzhīwā), then you already know how to express the same sentiment of living under a rock in Chinese. “The Frog in the Well” is a proverb used to describe being ignorant of the world outside one’s limited environment.
Discovering the story behind a Chinese idiom is a fascinating journey. Let’s explore the meaning of “the frog at the bottom of the well” and discover its wisdom.
Proverbs Origins
As you might expect the origins of the proverb “the frog in the well” starts with a frog that lived inside a well. And this well was abandoned. One day, a sea turtle stumbled upon the frog’s abandoned well.
The frog bragged to the turtle, “Brother turtle, quickly come here! Today, I’ll give you the honor of widening your horizons by touring my place. I bet you’ve never seen a place this big,” exclaimed the frog. “When I’m happy, I can use the edge of the well to jump back and forth. When I’m tired, I can return to the well to sleep or peacefully soak my entire body in the well water. This place is comfortable. Quickly, come in and have a look!”
After hearing the frog’s words, the sea turtle wanted to enter the well to look around. But before putting his left leg inside, his right leg had already reached the bottom of the well.
The turtle asked the frog, “Have you ever seen the ocean?” Then the turtle continued, “The ocean’s vastness and depth cannot be described. There was a flood before, but it didn’t even seem to increase the ocean’s depth. When there was a drought, the ocean’s depth didn’t seem to decrease. The ocean’s water will not change with time or rise and fall due to rainfall. Only when living in such a great ocean can one truly be happy.”
Upon hearing this, the frog in the well was so shocked he couldn’t speak. He had no idea that a place with even more significance than his dark, abandoned well could exist. Sadly, a frog in the well knows not the ocean.
Modern Usage
Today, people use the frog at the bottom of the well to describe bumpkins. The idiom encourages people to broaden their horizons and explore the world beyond their comfort zone, instead of being like a frog in the well who only knows its own little world.
5 Examples of how to use “frog in the well” in Mandarin
Are you curious about how native Chinese speakers incorporate idioms into their speech? If so, here are five Mandarin expressions to see the idiom in practice:
- 像他這種井底之蛙，還自以為是，真是可悲！
It’s really pathetic that a frog in the well like him thinks he’s infallible. - 人家說自卑的人容易誇大，井底之蛙亦乎如此。
People say those with low self-esteem tend to boast; the same goes for frogs in the well. - 我都聽他們談論的內容，頗有井底之蛙的感慨。
Listening to them speak, I feel like a frog at the bottom of the well. - 我這鄉下人像隻井底之蛙斜坡，設想不周何處還請多包涵。
I’m a simple country person, like a frog at the bottom of the well. I can be close-minded, but I should be more tolerant. - 我們應該到各地去走走，好增廣見聞，不可以成為井底之蛙。
We ought to travel to many places to broaden our horizons and not be like a frog at the bottom of the well.
When learning the idiom 井底之蛙 (jǐngdǐzhīwā), I cannot help but think that it still holds so much wisdom today. There are times each of us needs to be reminded that the world is large and there is always more to learn. The imagery of a frog in a dark well speaking to a sea turtle who knows the ocean’s vastness is the perfect proverb for describing ignorance of the world outside one’s own horizons.
Are you feeling motivated to broaden your horizons, gain new knowledge, or savor a different cuisine? No one wants to be a frog in the well. So, let’s embrace our inner sea turtles and get learning!
Not finished reading? Take a look at A Cat Weeping Over a Dead Mouse to keep learning about Chinese idioms.
