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Mythic Mandarin

The frog at the bottom of the well: 井底之蛙

HSK 5 Unit 6: Chengyu, four-character idioms · Lesson 4 of 5 · About 26 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can follow the story behind 井底之蛙, and use it about someone with a narrow view of the world.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 破 mean?

    1. to break, broken
    2. measure, step
    3. solid, sturdy
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, to break, broken.

    破 (pò) means to break, broken.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to break, broken”?

    1. 劝
    2. 矛
    3. 破
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 破.

    “to break, broken” is 破 (pò).

  3. Listening

    From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    演员 yǎnyuán

    1. it's just that, merely
    2. on the one hand
    3. actor, actress
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, actor, actress.

    You heard 演员 (yǎnyuán): actor, actress.

New words

  • 井jǐngwell
  • 青蛙qīngwāfrog
  • 海龟hǎiguīsea turtle
  • 无边无际wúbiān wújìboundless
  • 见识jiànshiknowledge, experience

The story and the meaning

井底之蛙 is a frog at the bottom of a well: someone who has seen little of the world but thinks they know everything. It is critical, so use it carefully, often about yourself or in general.

  • 出国以后，我才知道自己以前是井底之蛙。

    Chūguó yǐhòu, wǒ cái zhīdào zìjǐ yǐqián shì jǐngdǐ zhī wā.

    Only after going abroad did I realise I'd been a frog at the bottom of a well.

Characters

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

The frog and the turtle

Professor Yang tells the story.

Listen first

Play the whole text and answer the questions before you open it.

Helpful words: 井底之蛙 jǐngdǐ zhī wā a frog at the bottom of a well (someone with a narrow view); 井口 jǐngkǒu the mouth of a well; 口 kǒu (measure word for wells); 东海 Dōng Hǎi the Eastern Sea; 路过 lùguò to pass by; 吃惊 chījīng surprised

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What did the frog think of its well?

    1. too small
    2. dark
    3. wonderful
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, wonderful.

    我的井真好.

  2. Listening

    What did the frog realise in the end?

    1. It knew very little of the world.
    2. The sea is too dangerous for frogs.
    3. The turtle was lying to it.
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, It knew very little of the world..

    自己的见识太少了.

Show the text
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 一Yì只zhī青蛙qīngwā住zhù在zài一yì口kǒu井jǐng里lǐ。它Tā每天měitiān看着kànzhe井口jǐngkǒu那么nàme大dà的de天tiān，觉得juéde非常fēicháng满意mǎnyì。

    A frog lived in a well. Every day it looked at a patch of sky the size of the well's mouth and felt very pleased.

  2. 有Yǒu一yì天tiān，一yì只zhī海龟hǎiguī从cóng东海Dōng Hǎi来lái，路过lùguò井jǐng边biān。

    One day, a sea turtle from the Eastern Sea passed by the well.

  3. 青蛙Qīngwā骄傲jiāo'ào地de说shuō：“我wǒ的de井jǐng真zhēn好hǎo！你Nǐ下来xiàlai看看kànkan吧ba！”

    The frog said proudly: "My well is wonderful! Come down and see!"

  4. 海龟Hǎiguī说shuō：“你nǐ见jiàn过guo大海dàhǎi吗ma？大海Dàhǎi无边无际wúbiān wújì，比bǐ你nǐ的de井jǐng大dà多duō了le。”

    The turtle said: "Have you ever seen the sea? The sea is boundless, much bigger than your well."

  5. 青蛙Qīngwā听tīng了le，非常fēicháng吃惊chījīng。它Tā这zhè才cái知道zhīdào，自己zìjǐ的de见识jiànshi太tài少shǎo了le。

    The frog was astonished. Only then did it realise how little it knew.

Speak: listen, record, compare

Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.

  • 海龟说：“你见过大海吗？大海无边无际，比你的井大多了。”

    Hǎiguī shuō: “Nǐ jiàn guo dàhǎi ma? Dàhǎi wúbiān wújì, bǐ nǐ de jǐng dà duō le.”

    The turtle said: "Have you ever seen the sea? The sea is boundless, much bigger than your well."

  • 有一天，一只海龟从东海来，路过井边。

    Yǒu yì tiān, yì zhī hǎiguī cóng Dōng Hǎi lái, lùguò jǐng biān.

    One day, a sea turtle from the Eastern Sea passed by the well.

  • 青蛙骄傲地说：“我的井真好！你下来看看吧！”

    Qīngwā jiāo'ào de shuō: “Wǒ de jǐng zhēn hǎo! Nǐ xiàlai kànkan ba!”

    The frog said proudly: "My well is wonderful! Come down and see!"

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 井 mean?

    1. rainbow
    2. next time
    3. well
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, well.

    井 (jǐng) means well.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “frog”?

    1. 科技
    2. 普及
    3. 青蛙
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 青蛙.

    “frog” is 青蛙 (qīngwā).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 海龟 (sea turtle)?

    1. hàiguī
    2. hǎiguī
    3. hǎiguí
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, hǎiguī.

    海龟 is read hǎiguī. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    无边无际 wúbiān wújì

    1. in front, ahead
    2. boundless
    3. ten thousand
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, boundless.

    You heard 无边无际 (wúbiān wújì): boundless.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “knowledge, experience” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 见识

    “knowledge, experience” is 见识 (jiànshi).

  6. Listening

    Listen. Which sentence did you hear?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    一只青蛙住在一口井里。它每天看着井口那么大的天，觉得非常满意。 Yì zhī qīngwā zhù zài yì kǒu jǐng lǐ. Tā měitiān kànzhe jǐngkǒu nàme dà de tiān, juéde fēicháng mǎnyì.

    1. The turtle said: "Have you ever seen the sea? The sea is boundless, much bigger than your well."
    2. The frog said proudly: "My well is wonderful! Come down and see!"
    3. A frog lived in a well. Every day it looked at a patch of sky the size of the well's mouth and felt very pleased.
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, A frog lived in a well. Every day it looked at a patch of sky the size of the well's mouth and felt very pleased..

    You heard 一只青蛙住在一口井里。它每天看着井口那么大的天，觉得非常满意。 (Yì zhī qīngwā zhù zài yì kǒu jǐng lǐ. Tā měitiān kànzhe jǐngkǒu nàme dà de tiān, juéde fēicháng mǎnyì.): A frog lived in a well. Every day it looked at a patch of sky the size of the well's mouth and felt very pleased.

  7. Reading

    Read: 他以为自己的城市是世界上最好的地方，可是他从来没离开过那儿。朋友说他是井底之蛙。 Why is he called 井底之蛙?

    1. He has never left his city but thinks it's the best.
    2. He lives next to an old well.
    3. He has travelled the world and likes his city.
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, He has never left his city but thinks it's the best..

    从来没离开过那儿.

  8. Grammar

    Which sentence means much bigger than your well?

    1. 比你的井很大。
    2. 比你的井大多了。
    3. 比你的井多大了。
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 比你的井大多了。.

    比你的井大多了。: 比 + adjective + 多了.

  9. In context

    Travelling widely increases what?

    1. 青蛙
    2. 井
    3. 见识
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 见识.

    见识: knowledge and experience of the world.

  10. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for frog

    Show the answer

    Answer: 青蛙

    青蛙: frog.

Widening your view

Retell 井底之蛙 out loud, then talk about something that widened your view of the world.

  1. The frog, the well and the turtle.
  2. What the frog learned.
  3. An experience that made you realise how little you knew.

Sentence frames

  • ＿＿以后，我才知道自己以前是井底之蛙。

    ＿＿ yǐhòu, wǒ cái zhīdào zìjǐ yǐqián shì jǐngdǐ zhī wā.

    Only after ... did I realise I'd been a frog in a well.

Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:

Review and finish

Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.

  • I can retell 井底之蛙.
  • I can use it carefully about a narrow view.

Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.

Next lesson: Giving up halfway: 半途而废