đừng nài lương giáo khác dòng, vốn đều con Lạc cháu Hồng khi xưa
Press no divide of Buddhist and Catholic — all were children of Lạc and grandchildren of Hồng before the altars differed.
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Where will you be? Anywhere Hà Nội & the NorthHuế / Đà Nẵng & the CenterSài Gòn & the SouthOnline slang Bắc ↔ Nam words
Press no divide of Buddhist and Catholic — all were children of Lạc and grandchildren of Hồng before the altars differed.
Amazing, good job! — the English phrase respelled in Vietnamese, popularized as a catchphrase by coach Binz on Rap Việt (2020).
A debt of kindness broad and deep — gratitude owed past measuring.
Would you were a mirror, for me to gaze in daily; would you were a betel box, for me to keep fresh areca and golden leaf — love wishing itself into the beloved's hands.
Would the river were one hand-span wide — I'd bridge it with my yếm-strap for you to cross and visit — desire re-engineering geography.
The beauty pass — the trap where a man's judgment goes to die; seduction deployed with intent.
Humming and hawing — mumbling evasively, never giving a straight answer.
Warm-backed and full-bellied — living in comfort and plenty.
Mumbling like the village council — deliberately vague, neither confirming nor denying.
To clutch a snake to your chest — to shelter someone who will turn on you.
Lullaby: wind stirs the banana clump behind the house — he chases the minor wife and abandons raft and children — the deserted family's cradle song.
Lullaby: wind blows and shoves — to the clearing for còng crabs, to the river for fish, to the fields for crabs — the roaming song of making-do.
Umming and ahing — grunting vaguely to dodge every question at hand.
Someone with a narrow worldview who mistakes their limited experience for the whole world.
The frog at the well's bottom — sure the sky is exactly one well-mouth wide.
Hating whoever betters you — envy dressed as judgment.
The snail can't even carry its own shell — and offers to carry moss for others.
A house like a hung chime-stone — four bare walls and the wind; poverty with nothing left to list.
The bamboo strickle levels the measure — the honest scrape across the brim; full measure, no heap, no hollow.
Chili hot, ginger bitter — the sharp seasonings of shared life.
What chili isn't hot, what girl doesn't guard her husband — jealousy as natural as spice.
One good turn deserves another.
The banyan leans on the spirit, the spirit on the banyan — legitimacy and shelter propping each other up.
Live so as to please everyone? Live broadly they laugh, live narrowly they sneer — the impossibility of universal approval.
'As if — like I'd ever tell' — the interrogation-proof teenage stonewall.
In this life all things are held in common — we outdo each other only by the name of hero left behind.
Leaning on power, leaning on spirits — patronage temporal or supernatural, so long as it's someone else's strength.
Tiring of the old to greet the new — appetite's endless trade-in.
When the person in charge is away, those left behind misbehave or run wild.
Vietnamese proverb; English definition pending editorial review.
Everyone wants to show their good side, not their bad side
Someone who laughs a lot is likely hiding something
Wealth and hardship can affect multiple generations
One reaps what they sow
One's actions have consequences for oneself
One who leaves must bear the pain of separation
Those who make a mistake must accept the consequences
It's easy to talk, but hard to act
Those who like you will seek you out, those who dislike you will avoid you
Whoever goes to Ha Tinh will return
Those who are not wanted should leave
A place with abundant resources and opportunities
Remember one's hometown
Longing for one's hometown and its specialties
Someone who has been away for a long time
Someone who has been away for a long time will visit their hometown
Someone is entrusted to take care of something
Everyone has their own strengths
Remember to appreciate the beauty of life
to reach a critical point
No matter where life takes you, your roots remain
If someone truly loves you, they will make efforts to nurture the relationship
Who helps someone cross the river
One who suffers is to blame
Call out to someone for help or attention
Be content with one's position and endure humiliation
Those who are closely related will help each other
Brothers fight with swords, not words
Respect within the family comes first, then respect from the community
A laid-back "that's just how we roll, brothers" — contentment with things exactly as they are, classically capped with the "hẹ hẹ hẹ" chuckle.