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坐井觀天. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
坐井觀天, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
坐井觀天 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
坐井觀天 you have here. The definition of the word
坐井觀天 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
坐井觀天, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
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to sit; to take a seat; to take (a bus, aeroplane, etc.)
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warn; well
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to look at; to watch; to observe to look at; to watch; to observe; to behold; Taoist monastery |
day; sky; heaven
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| trad. (坐井觀天)
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坐
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井
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觀
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天
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| simp. (坐井观天)
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坐
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井
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观
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天
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| Literally: “To sit in a well and look at the sky”.
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Etymology
Related to 井底之蛙 (jǐngdǐzhīwā). Directly from
老子之小仁義，非毀之也，其見者小也。坐井而觀天，曰「天小」者，非天小也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
老子之小仁义，非毁之也，其见者小也。坐井而观天，曰「天小」者，非天小也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]- From: c. early 9th century, Han Yu (韓愈),《原道》, translated into English as True Faith of a Confucianist by Herbert Allen Giles, 1922.
- Lǎozǐ zhī xiǎo rényì, fēi huǐ zhī yě, qí jiàn zhě xiǎo yě. Zuò jǐng ér guān tiān, yuē “tiān xiǎo” zhě, fēi tiān xiǎo yě.
- Lao Tzŭ merely narrowed the scope of charity and duty; he did not attempt to do without them altogether. His view of them was the narrow view of a man sitting at the bottom of a well and inferring the size of the heavens from the small portion visible to himself.
Pronunciation
Idiom
坐井觀天
- ignorant of the world; to be living under a rock