[Korean Culture & Language] A frog in a well

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A person who is well-known or influential in a small group but is unknown or unimportant outside of that group is called ‘big fish in a small pond’. Koreans call them ‘우물 안 개구리’. 

‘우물’ means ‘a well’

‘안’ means ‘inside’

‘개구리’ means ‘a frog’

‘우물 안 개구리’ means ‘a frog in a well’.

Those two expressions have slightly different connotations though. The ‘big fish’ usually refers to a person who is satisfied to stay in one position, while ‘우물 안 개구리’ doesn’t really know what’s going on outside where they are from. 

Photo by Adam Currie on Unsplash

This proverb was originated from the phrase "정와불가이어해(井蛙不可以語海)" in 장자(Zhuāngzǐ), an ancient Chinese literature book composed of a large number of tales, parables, and fables from the late Warring States period (476-221BC).

•井(정) refers to a ‘well’ or a ‘small space’

•蛙(와) means ‘a frog’

•不(불) means ‘can’t’

•可以 means ‘to understand’

•語 means ‘words’ or ‘language’

•海 means ‘the ocean’

In the fable, a frog brags about how great it is to live in a well and invites a turtle to join him. The turtle tried, but he couldn’t because the well was too small for him. The turtle then tells the frog how big and nice the ocean is. The frog gets awestruck hearing about the beautiful ocean life. The fable highlights the importance of being modest and not being short-sighted.

Koreans call someone who is short-sighted and believes that they know everything a ‘우물안 개구리’.

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