
ProverbWisdom
Chinese origin4th c. BC
The frog in the well knows not the great ocean
Meaning: Those with limited experience cannot comprehend the vastness of the wider world.
Origin: From the Zhuangzi, a Daoist classic of the 4th century BC, where a frog living in a shallow well boasts of its home until a sea turtle describes the ocean. Japanese has the same proverb as i no naka no kawazu taikai o shirazu.
Equivalents in Japanese
Japanese: 井の中の蛙大海を知らず (I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu) (literally: A frog in a well does not know the great sea)
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- На дворе трава, на траве дрова. (Na dvore trava, na trave drova.) A short but nasty 'tr/dr' blend — the consonant clusters that trip up every learner of Ru…
- Шла Саша по шоссе и сосала сушку. (Shla Sasha po shosse i sosala sushku.) A merciless 'sh/s/ss' collision — Sasha walking, sucking, and all those sibilants.
- Карл у Клары украл кораллы, Клара у Карла украла кларнет. (Karl u Klary ukral korally, Klara u Karla ukrala klarnet.) A 'kl/kr/r' drama — crime, countercrimes, and consonant clusters all at once.
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