chén trong hú chén ngoài

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

Meaning · English

The inner cup hails the outer — one drink summoning the next past all measure.

Literally: the inside cup calls the outside cup
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 “chén trong hú chén ngoài” mean?

The inner cup hails the outer — one drink summoning the next past all measure. Literally: the inside cup calls the outside cup

Is “chén trong hú chén ngoài” formal or informal?

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