cá không gặp nước
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A fish that never met water — a talent stranded short of its element.
Literally: fish not meeting water
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 “cá không gặp nước” mean?
A fish that never met water — a talent stranded short of its element. Literally: fish not meeting water
Is “cá không gặp nước” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.