vỏ quýt dày có móng tay nhọn
it doesn't matter how smart or cunning you are, there's always someone else better to take you down
Tiếng Việt · Huế / Đà Nẵng & the Center 1907
All languages English Tiếng Việt
Where will you be? Anywhere Hà Nội & the NorthHuế / Đà Nẵng & the CenterSài Gòn & the SouthOnline slang Bắc ↔ Nam words
Sayings you’ll hear in Central Vietnam — distinctly Central usage first, then nationwide staples.
vụng chèo khéo chống
A poor workman blames his tools.
vừa ăn cướp vừa la làng
to burglarize while crying for help
vừa đánh trống vừa ăn cướp
to beat the drum (as in, sound the burglar alarm) while burglarizing
xa mặt cách lòng
Absence weakens affection — when people no longer see each other, their hearts drift apart.
xem tivi hoặc xem phim
watching TV or films
xem việc biết người
Close to the English saying: “A workman is known by his chips.”.
xl
Texting shortcut for “xin lỗi” — sorry.
xong phim
the movie has ended
xu cà na
Unlucky; doomed-day energy — “xu” from xui (unlucky) plus a fruity flourish.
xuống hố
synonym of xuống lỗ (“to die”)
xát muối vào vết thương
to add insult to injury
xướng ca vô loài
singers and (more generally) musicians are immoral
xịt keo
Frozen in place — so stunned you’re hairspray-set where you stand.
xỏ lá ba que
synonym of ba que xỏ lá
ykr
Texting shortcut for “ý kiến riêng” — just my personal opinion (IMO).
yêu nhiều thì ốm, ôm nhiều thì yếu
love a lot and you will get sick, hug a lot and you will get weak (alluding to STD and impotence due to overindulgence)
ác cái là
the risk is, the difficulty is (therefore unable to do the aforementioned thing)
ác giả ác báo
what goes around comes around; you reap what you sow; as you sow, so shall you reap.
ác một cái là
synonym of ác cái là
ác nhân sát đức
to act cruelly, brutally, without conscience
ác như hùm
extremely cruel and brutal
ái nam ái nữ
having an intersex genitalia or being intersex in general
án binh bất động
to temporarily stand down one's army in order to wait and see how things develop
âm cực dương hồi
At the end of yin, yang returns.
âm thịnh dương suy
having more females than males
ét ô ét
“S.O.S!” — mock distress call for funny emergencies.
ôm cây đợi thỏ
to be conservative; to resist change and innovation; to stick to old principles
ôm rơm rặm bụng
to take on unnecessary burden; to bring trouble upon oneself
ôn cố tri tân
One should be able to derive new understanding while revising what one has learned.
ôn, lương, cung, kiệm, nhượng
Be cordial, kind, courteous, modest, and deferential.
ông nói gà, bà nói vịt
he said, she said
ông ăn chả, bà ăn nem
he eats chả, she eats nem
ù té quyền
To run away, flee, or bail out of an awkward, difficult, or dangerous situation as fast as possible — always said with a wink.
Ăn miếng trả miếng
Eat one, pay one. Tit for tat .
ăn cháo đá bát
To be ungrateful — to turn against or abandon the very person who helped you.
ăn chín uống sôi
to practice good hygiene by only consuming cooked food and boiled water
ăn chắc mặc bền
to prioritize durability and utility over luxury or aesthetics
ăn chặn
to embezzle, pocket, or intercept money or goods that belong to others (especially by taking a cut from wages, relief funds, or payments)
ăn cơm quốc gia, thờ ma cộng sản
to eat the State's rice while worshiping the Communist spirits
ăn hành
To get wrecked, suffer, or be put through the wringer (originally gaming slang).
ăn lông ở lỗ
to live as if one is a prehistoric man
ăn may
(verb) to win or succeed by sheer luck rather than skill or effort
ăn nhờ ở đậu
to live in someone else's house and rely on them for food and shelter
ăn nên làm ra
to bring benefits; to be profitable
ăn nói xà lơ
Talking nonsense; saying something totally off — “xà lơ” is a playful take on “sai lơ” (dead wrong).
ăn thùng uống vại
to eat and drink excessively or gluttonously; to have a massive appetite
ăn to nói lớn
to be straightforward, bold, and decisive in one's conduct and speech
ăn trắng mặc trơn
to live a life of leisure, comfort, and wealth
ăn tàn phá hại
to be extremely destructive and wasteful; to consume resources without contributing anything
ăn tục nói phét
to habitually use foul language and tell tall tales or lies
ăn xổi
to eat food (usually vegetables) that has been pickled or prepared for immediate consumption
ăn xổi ở thì
short-sighted, lacking foresight; temporary, makeshift
Đen tình, đỏ bạc
Lucky at cards, unlucky in love.
Đi một ngày đàng, học một sàng khôn
Travelling forms a young man.
Đi với bụt mặc áo cà sa, đi với ma mặc áo giấy
Pay a man back in the same coin.
Điếc không sợ súng
He that knows nothing doubts nothing.
Đoàn kết thì sống, chia rẽ thì chết
English equivalentː United we stand, divided we fall.
Đánh chết cái nết cũng không chừa
Close to the English saying: “Old habits die hard.”.
Đây là ... của tôi
This is my ...
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