anh chột làm vua xứ mù
a mediocre person without any special qualities who stands out only because they are surrounded by people worse than them; in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Tiếng Việt · Sài Gòn & the South 1936
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 the South — distinctly Southern usage first, then nationwide staples.
anh em cây khế
someone who badmouths or even goes out of their way to harm their siblings or friends who has a brotherly bond with them
anh em thúc bá
cousins from the paternal side (uncle's and father's side)
anh hùng hào kiệt
a person with talent, courage, and outstanding acts, a hero
anh hùng khó qua ải mĩ nhân
even the strongest warrior can be seduced by a beautiful woman
anh hùng không có đất dụng võ
a skilled person with no opportunity to use their talents
anh hùng mạt lộ
a talented person with big ambitions, stuck in a hopeless situation and unable to escape
anh hùng nghĩa hiệp
a selfless person, willing to risk their life to help others
anh hùng nhất khoảnh
a person who sees themselves as the most talented and powerful in their field or area, untouchable by anyone
anh hùng tương ngộ
heroes or talented people encountering each other
anh iu
Texting-cute spelling of “anh yêu” — darling (to a man), keyboard-softened.
anh yêu em
I love you (man to woman)
atsm
Texting shortcut for “ảo tưởng sức mạnh” — delusionally overconfident about one’s own abilities.
ba ba ấp bóng
doing something that is futile and pointless
ba cái
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see ba, cái.
ba mươi chưa phải là Tết
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see ba mươi, chưa, phải, là, Tết.
ba que xỏ lá
cheating and caddish; wicked and malicious; deceitful; roguish
bao gồm cả ba bữa ăn
to include all three meals; full board
biết rồi, khổ lắm, nói mãi
I get it! Quit your nagging!
biết thì thưa thốt, không biết thì dựa cột mà nghe
if you know about something, do talk about it, if you don't, lean back on a pillar and listen
biết thế
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see biết, thế.
bn
initialism of bao nhiêu
bt
Texting shortcut with two readings: “biết” (to know) or “bình thường” (normal, meh) — context decides.
bu lông và đai ốc
nuts and bolts
buôn dưa lê
to shoot the breeze; to chew the fat; to gossip
bà Mụ nặn nhầm
something must have gone wrong when the Midwife got this child out of their mother
bác sĩ nắn chỉnh cột sống
chiropractor
bách chiến bách thắng
"Fight a hundred battles, win all those hundred"; to win every fight; to be ever-victorious
bách phát bách trúng
the person in question is a highly skilled marksman and they almost never miss
bán chạy như tôm tươi
to sell like hot cakes
báo thủ
A walking disaster — someone whose “help” reliably creates expensive problems for family and friends.
bây giờ là chín giờ
It’s nine o’clock.
bây giờ là chín giờ mười lăm
It’s quarter past nine.
bây giờ là chín giờ rưỡi
It’s half past nine.
bây giờ là mười giờ kém mười lăm
It’s quarter to ten.
bây giờ là mười giờ sáng
It’s 10 a.m.
bè
a raft (flat, floating structure)
bé bằng củ khoai, cứ vai mà gọi
Kinship terms follow family rank, not age — even a tiny child is addressed by their place in the family hierarchy.
bé hạt tiêu
little body, great mind
bên trời góc bể
remote place; faraway
bình cũ rượu mới
old vase, new liquor
bói ra ma, quét nhà ra rác
being a medium and getting "possessed" at some point is as predictable as sweeping your home and getting trash
bôi tro trát trấu
to tarnish; to besmirch
bĩ cực thái lai
it is always darkest before the dawn
bạn bao nhiêu tuổi?
How old are you?
bạn có con không?
Do you have any children?
bạn khỏe không?
How are you?
bạn làm gì?
What do you do for work?
bạn làm nghề gì?
What do you do for a living?
bạn làm ở đâu?
Where do you work?
bạn nói gì cơ?
Sorry? What did you say?
bạn sống ở đâu?
Where do you live?
bạn đang đi làm hay đi học?
Do you work or study?
bạn đã kết hôn hay còn độc thân?
Are you married or single?
bạn đến từ đâu?
Where are you from?
bấm nút mở cửa cho ai vào
to buzz someone in
bần cùng sinh đạo tặc
poor people are going to do what they must to get by
bầu ơi thương lấy bí cùng, tuy rằng khác giống nhưng chung một giàn
love thy neighbor as thyself
bắt chước như khỉ
monkey see, monkey do
bắt cá hai tay
If you cannot make up your mind which of two things you should do, you are liable to get yourself into difficulties by doing neither.
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