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井の中の蛙大海を知らず. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
井の中の蛙大海を知らず, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
井の中の蛙大海を知らず in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
井の中の蛙大海を知らず you have here. The definition of the word
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井の中の蛙大海を知らず, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Japanese
Etymology
Partial calque from Literary Chinese 井鼃不可以語於海者,拘於虛也 ("A frog in a well cannot be talked with about an ocean - it is confined to its own narrow place."), from the writings of Zhuangzi.[1][2]
Comprised of 井 (i, “well”) + の (no, possessive particle) + 中 (naka, “inside”) + の (no, possessive particle) + 蛙 (kawazu, “frog”) + 大海 (taikai, “great ocean”) + を (o, object particle) + 知らず (shirazu, “not know”, the classical negative conjugation of verb 知る (shiru, “to know”)), literally “a frog in a well does not know the great ocean”.
The back-formation of this form in pseudo-kanbun would be 井中之蛙不知大海. Compare modern Chinese 井底之蛙 (jǐngdǐzhīwā), Korean 정중지와 부지대해 (井中之蛙 不知大海, jeongjungjiwa bujidaehae).
First cited to 1179.[1]
Pronunciation
Proverb
井の中の蛙大海を知らず • (i no naka no kawazu taikai o shirazu) ←ゐのなかのかはづたいかいをしらず (wi no naka no kafadu taikai wo sirazu)?
- (figuratively) a narrow world view based on limited experience
- 2006, 下 健, 言葉と生きる, 新風舎, page 23,
- また、私たちは往々にしてほんの少し周囲の人たちより良い結果がでると、有頂天になって自慢したいような気持ちになりがちです。
まさに『井の中の蛙大海を知らず』で恥ずかしい話であります。- Mata, watashi-tachi wa ōō ni shite hon no sukoshi shūi no hito-tachi yori yoi kekka ga deru to, uchōten ni natte jiman shitai yō na kimochi ni narigachi desu.
Masa ni “i no naka no kawazu taikai o shirazu” de hazukashii hanashi de arimasu. - We are also prone to feel proud of ourselves and feel like bragging when we get a result that is just a little bit better than that of the others around us.
This is indeed a case of "a frog in a well does not know the great ocean" and is an embarrassing state of affairs.
Synonyms
See also
- Chinese: 井底之蛙 (jǐngdǐzhīwā)
References