Entry Discussion Citations Language Download PDF Watch Edit Japanese edit Kanji in this term 井 中 蛙 大 海 知 い Grade: 4 なか Grade: 1 かわず Hyōgai たい Grade: 1 かい Grade: 2 し Grade: 2 kun'yomi kan'on on'yomi kun'yomi Alternative spelling 井の中の蛙大海を知らず (kyūjitai) Alternative forms edit 井の内の蛙大海を知らず (i no uchi no kawazu taikai o shirazu) Etymology edit 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 edit (Tokyo) いの・なかの・かわず・たいかいを・しらず [íꜜ nò náꜜkà nò kàwázú tàíkáí ó shìrázú] (Atamadaka + Atamadaka + Heiban + Heiban + Heiban – [1]-[1]-[0]-[0]-[0]) IPA(key): [i no̞ na̠ka̠ no̞ ka̠β̞a̠zɨ ta̠ika̠i o̞ ɕiɾa̠zɨ] Proverb edit 井いの中なかの蛙かわず大たい海かいを知しらず • (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 Synonyms edit 井いの中なかの蛙かわず (i no naka no kawazu) 井いの内うちの蛙かわず (i no uchi no kawazu) 井底せいていの蛙かわず (seitei no kawazu) See also edit Chinese: 井底之蛙 (jǐngdǐzhīwā) References edit “いのうちのかわずたいかいをしらず”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten][1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
“井の中の▲蛙(かわず)大海を知らず”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia][3] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025
いのなかのかわずたいかいをしらず