ao tù nước đục
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A stagnant pond of murky water — a system gone still and turbid where nothing can change.
Literally: prison pond, muddy water
Examples
Cơ quan ấy như ao tù nước đục.That office is a stagnant pond of murky water.
Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)
Sources & notes
Discovered via Vietnamese Wiktionary, Thể loại:Tục ngữ tiếng Việt (CC BY-SA 4.0); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “ao tù nước đục” mean?
A stagnant pond of murky water — a system gone still and turbid where nothing can change. Literally: prison pond, muddy water
Is “ao tù nước đục” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.