sống một đồng không hết, chết mười đồng không đủ
Alive, one coin lasts; dead, ten aren't enough — the funeral spends what the life saved.
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
Alive, one coin lasts; dead, ten aren't enough — the funeral spends what the life saved.
Live in father's village, haunt the husband's — a woman's addresses, in life and after.
Alive, you gave them nothing to eat; dead, you lay out feasts and read odes to heaven — the verse that shames performative mourning.
One mat and bed in life, one coffin in death — the marriage vow at its most absolute.
Live by the village, shine by the nation — belonging local, honor national.
The jellyfish never jumps the weir — children do not overleap their parents' word.
Sallow face, lead-grey skin — illness or want written on the complexion.
Nothing goes past three — three tries tells the tale; the customary limit of patience and proof.
A matter past helping — necessity's signature on the unwanted deed.
Time discloses the heart — only the long acquaintance audits truly.
Affairs have beginning and end, things root and branch — order is built into whatever exists.
When one loses a good opportunity, one will encounter a bad situation
Problems follow wherever you go
small errors may have great negative impacts
Must rely on others when in a difficult situation
A person's fate is predetermined
Speak without thinking
Everyone has their role to play
Everyone wants children, but no one wants to raise them
To establish a career and settle down
Born together, die apart
Born with a profession, die with a career
To have many children
Close friends who share life and death experiences
To argue until one is exhausted
Completely and utterly defeated
Numerous but disorganized
Completely and utterly destroyed
Vietnamese proverb; English definition pending editorial review.
Be content with one's simple life
To be completely honest and straightforward
Someone has a strong backing or support
Sai Gon has many notable landmarks
Habits formed over time are hard to change
Doing something carelessly or half-heartedly
Someone's ancestry is humble or shameful
Work hard from dawn till dusk
To please others but ignore one's own needs
velodrome
The deeper the river, the higher the bank.
Everyone has their own nature
Minor issues can lead to major problems
Life has its ups and downs
A long river has fish that swim separately
Great chaos or turmoil arises after a major event
A big and powerful organization or system has many complicated problems
Even in deep trouble, there's always someone to help
Even the deepest difficulties can be overcome
A place with transparent and honest dealings
Very thin and fragile
To speak angrily or fiercely
completely lost or unable to find something
Being too close to something makes it hard to see its flaws
Separate and go different ways
Good things can be harmful if taken to excess
A person's appearance can be deceiving
Outsiders are judged by appearance, locals by behavior
a person who is knowledgeable in a specific field
What the master says is always right
Each person thinks their own way is right