井
せ
い
Meanings
1
rare term
Rare architectural term for the wooden frame or curb around a well. Often encountered in the compound 井桁 (いげた).
See also: 井桁
Old wells sometimes still have a well curb called 井桁.
2
Well constellation
One of the 28 Chinese mansions, part of the Vermilion Bird (朱雀) group. Used in traditional East Asian astronomy.
The Well is one of the 28 mansions, included among the seven mansions of the Vermilion Bird.
Expressions
- 相碁井目in any game, skill differences can be large
- 甘井先ず竭くthe flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long; the well with sweet water will be the first to run dry
- 渇に臨みて井を穿つto fail to make timely preparations; to not dig a well until one is thirsty
- 井蛙は以って海を語る可からずa narrow-minded person cannot understand the ways of the world; a frog in the well cannot understand the ocean even if it is explained to it