諺語 · a single proverb
井底之蛙，不可以語於海
Simplified: 井底之蛙，不可以语于海
What does 井底之蛙，不可以語於海 (jǐng dǐ zhī wā bù kě yǐ yǔ yú hǎi) mean?
井底之蛙，不可以語於海 (jǐng dǐ zhī wā bù kě yǐ yǔ yú hǎi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "frog of well bottom cannot be spoken to about the sea." In use it means: You cannot discuss vast matters with someone of limited experience; the frog in the well cannot comprehend the ocean. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "frog of well bottom cannot be spoken to about the sea."
The reading
The frog of the well has not been dishonest about its knowledge; it simply has not had the experience of the sea. This is not stupidity but geography. Before judging the comprehension, consider the size of the world the other person has had access to. Expand the world before you expand the expectation.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zhuangzi 莊子·秋水 (Qiū Shuǐ, Autumn Floods)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 井底之蛙，不可以語於海 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 井底之蛙，不可以語於海 (jǐng dǐ zhī wā bù kě yǐ yǔ yú hǎi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Zhuangzi 莊子·秋水 (Qiū Shuǐ, Autumn Floods). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 井底之蛙，不可以語於海?
In Mandarin it is jǐng dǐ zhī wā bù kě yǐ yǔ yú hǎi. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 井底之蛙，不可以語於海 aloud in Mandarin.