tôi là người ăn chay
"I'm vegetarian" — Vietnam understands "ăn chay" deeply (Buddhist tradition); say it and most kitchens can adapt anything.
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
"I'm vegetarian" — Vietnam understands "ăn chay" deeply (Buddhist tradition); say it and most kitchens can adapt anything.
I work part-time or full-time.
I freelance.
I work at...; I work for...
I work from home.
"I want to rent a vehicle" — default reading is a motorbike; specify "xe máy" (bike) or "ô tô/xe hơi" (car) to be exact.
I’m retired.
I was born in...
I think, therefore I am
I live in...
I’m unemployed.
I think therefore I am
Money's own servant — waged, worked, and owned by the coin.
I’m in university.
I’m traveling; I’m on vacation.
I’m divorced.
I’m hungry — the everyday way to say you need food.
Shell the prawn and trim the tail, pound the rice white — to feed an aging mother — devotion in kitchen verbs.
Honor the old, cherish the young — respect flowing both directions of age.
Honor the master, weigh the way — reverence for teachers and the learning they hand down.
Sneaking at rock-paper-scissors — doing something shady under the table.
the Trees of the Four Seasons, as depicted on paintings
Following one to the end — the old widow's code: one husband, living or dead.
Following good is a climb, following evil a landslide — virtue is uphill work; vice travels by gravity.
"Up to you" — handing over the decision; swap the pronoun ("tùy em", "tùy anh") to fit the relationship, or shrug "tùy" alone.
Shooting sparrows with the Sui pearl — spending a treasure to bag a trifle.
changing bag
Loosing the fish to the sea, the tiger to the mountain — an enemy released is a campaign rescheduled.
Hard-pressed, one contrives — necessity does the inventing.
Tăng Sâm killed a man — repeat a slander often enough and even a mother doubts her son.
Counting-drill thinking — plodding, formula-bound reasoning with no spark of its own.
recovery position
Diligent past tiring — application that never slackens.
Great minds think alike.
Sorry only that we met so late — friendship's fondest complaint.
to be altruistic and charitable to each other, especially in times of crisis or disaster
it is said that; legend/tradition/folklore has it that; according to legend
At home, follow father; married, follow husband — two clauses of the old three-followings code.
Creation is impartial — heaven makes and unmakes with no favorites, indifferent as weather.
Aided on the left, braced on the right — flanked by capable helpers on every side.
Striking left and breaking right — battling one's way through on every side.
an inch of land is worth an inch of gold; land is precious
Hard forward, hard back — wedged where neither advance nor retreat will serve.
Clowning for the crowd — deliberately (or obliviously) turning yourself into the comedy act of the moment.
A dog-flea dancing on the wick — antics tiny, stage tinier.
Hunting flowers and courting willows — the flirt's rounds among the blooms.
one must seek out a good teacher to learn the true way of life
Visit too often and the close grow distant — familiarity spends the very affection it feeds on.
Fire runs to the head and the demon enters — kung-fu overtraining madness; burnout by obsession.
Viewing flowers at a gallop — the Sino-Vietnamese original of skimming past what deserved study.
when in a pinch, the best course of action is to flee
Provisions gone, stratagems gone — no purse, no plan; money is the mother of maneuvers.
Spend all human strength, then learn heaven's decree — effort first, and fate only after the last ounce.
Whole heart, spent strength — effort emptied to the last measure.
Whole heart to the task at hand — duty done at full sincerity or not at all.
Trust books entirely and you'd be better off bookless — read critically or not at all.
Habit hardens into nature — practice long enough and the practice is you.
The flaw rides behind your back — everyone carries two sacks: others' faults in front, their own behind.
Wiping the face only while bathing — courtesy performed exactly when convenient, gratitude on the same schedule.
Dodge the pit, drop into the well — escape one trap by way of the next.