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針の穴から天覗く (はりのあなからてんのぞく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, godan verb (-ku)
have a narrow view of things ; peek at the sky through the eye of a needle
idiomatic expression
Idiomatic expression meaning to have a very limited perspective, like trying to see the whole sky through a needle's eye. The literal gloss is provided for understanding the imagery.
針はり の 穴あな から 天てん 覗のぞ く で は 、 全ぜん 体たい 像ぞう は 見み え ない 。
If you have such a narrow view, you can't see the big picture.
Written forms 針はり の 穴あな から 天てん 覗のぞ く
Standard kanji spelling for this idiomatic expression.
針はり の 穴あな から 天てん のぞく
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; 天 is kept in kanji while 覗く is written in kana.
Kanji 覗 peep, peek, come in sight Etymology The expression is a metaphorical phrase combining 針の穴 (eye of a needle) and 天を覗く (peek at the sky), literally meaning to try to see the vast sky through a tiny hole, thus representing a narrow perspective.
