井底之蛙 (Jǐng dǐ zhī wā)
Meaning: Someone with a narrow, limited worldview.
Language: Chinese
Literally: A frog at the bottom of a well
Category: Animals
Origin: From the Taoist classic Zhuangzi; the well-frog believes the small patch of sky above is the entire world.
More idioms — Animals
- 守株待兔 (shǒu zhū dài tù) — Vainly hoping a lucky fluke will repeat itself.
- 塞翁失马 (Sài Wēng shī mǎ) — A blessing in disguise; fortune is unpredictable.
- 狐假虎威 (Hú jiǎ hǔ wēi) — To bully others using borrowed power.
- De kat uit de boom kijken — To wait cautiously before committing.
- De koe bij de horens vatten — To tackle a problem head-on.
- Κάνω την πάπια — To feign ignorance; to play dumb.
More Chinese idioms
- 入乡随俗 (Rù xiāng suí sú) — When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
- 一箭双雕 (Yī jiàn shuāng diāo) — To achieve two things with a single act.
- 班门弄斧 (bān mén nòng fǔ) — To display feeble skill before a true master.
- 名落孙山 (míng luò Sūn Shān) — To fail an examination.
- 雪上加霜 (Xuě shàng jiā shuāng) — To make a bad situation even worse.
- 对牛弹琴 (duì niú tán qín) — Reasoning with someone who cannot understand.
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