Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

bà con xa, chẳng bằng xóm diềng gần

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In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Distant kin are no match for close neighbors — the ones nearby are the ones who come running.

Literally: far relatives can't equal near neighbors

Examples

Tối lửa tắt đèn nhờ hàng xóm, bà con xa chẳng bằng xóm diềng gần.When the lamp goes out you call the neighbors — far kin can't match the family next door.

Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)

Sources & notes

Discovered via Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.

Common questions

What does “bà con xa, chẳng bằng xóm diềng gần” mean?

Distant kin are no match for close neighbors — the ones nearby are the ones who come running. Literally: far relatives can't equal near neighbors

Is “bà con xa, chẳng bằng xóm diềng gần” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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