biết một mà chẳng biết mười
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Knowing one without knowing ten — a corner of the picture mistaken for the whole.
Literally: know one, not know ten
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 “biết một mà chẳng biết mười” mean?
Knowing one without knowing ten — a corner of the picture mistaken for the whole. Literally: know one, not know ten
Is “biết một mà chẳng biết mười” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.