chỉ mành treo chuông
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A bell hung by a thread — everything precious suspended from the flimsiest strand.
Literally: flimsy thread suspending the bell
Examples
Tính mạng bệnh nhân như chỉ mành treo chuông.The patient's life hangs like a bell from a thread.
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 “chỉ mành treo chuông” mean?
A bell hung by a thread — everything precious suspended from the flimsiest strand. Literally: flimsy thread suspending the bell
Is “chỉ mành treo chuông” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.