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Little by little becomes much — accumulation's patient arithmetic.
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Little by little becomes much — accumulation's patient arithmetic.
Bank goodness, meet goodness; bank evil, meet evil — the account always pays out in kind.
Bruised gut and battered liver — smoldering with suppressed fury.
The credulous get things sent to believe — trust is the door the swindle knocks at.
The wealth-flaunting streak — an itch to display one's money that no pocket can contain.
Long hair and bell-bottoms — the disapproving label for 1970s street fashion and its wearers.
Temple-hair strands short and long — we could not marry, so I will love you a thousand years — the vow of the unwed.
I’m ... years old.
"I'm sick" — the plain way to report illness; "bị" again marks it as unwanted. Southern speech often says "bị bịnh".
"I'm lost" — the passive-misfortune marker "bị" tells the listener this happened TO you; follow with the place you need.
"I lost my wallet" — the phrase you hope to never need; "bị mất" covers stolen and misplaced alike.
"I'm injured" — for accidents and emergencies; pair with "gọi cấp cứu" (call an ambulance) when it's serious.
"I haven't done anything wrong" — calm, formal, and worth knowing verbatim before you ever need it.
I have ... children.
I have a partner.
I’m married.
I have a question
The emergency essential: "I need a doctor" — blunt is correct here; add "gấp" (urgently) to raise the alarm.
I’m a widow — said by a woman whose husband has died.
I’m a widower — said by a man whose wife has died.
I’m thirsty — the everyday way to say you need a drink.
I don't know.
The honest opener every learner needs day one: "I can't (really) speak Vietnamese" — usually softened with "cho lắm" (not very well) and instantly forgiven.
I don’t have any children.
I don’t understand.
"I don't eat beef" — the polite dietary line; works for allergy, religion, or preference without explanation.
"I don't eat pork" — crucial in a pork-loving cuisine; Southern speech says "thịt heo" (same meaning, different pig word).
I am Vietnamese
"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