chân cứng đá mềm
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
A strong and determined person can be gentle and kind
Literally: Hard feet soft rock
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Sources & notes
Listed on Vietnamese Wikiquote “Tục ngữ Việt Nam” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “chân cứng đá mềm” mean?
A strong and determined person can be gentle and kind Literally: Hard feet soft rock
Is “chân cứng đá mềm” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.