Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

chim nhát là chim sống lâu

🎙 Say it

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

Meaning · English

The timid bird lives longest — mocked as cowardice, practiced as longevity.

Literally: the shy bird is the long-lived bird

Examples

Cứ cười tôi nhát đi, chim nhát là chim sống lâu.Laugh at my caution — the timid bird outlives the bold one.

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 “chim nhát là chim sống lâu” mean?

The timid bird lives longest — mocked as cowardice, practiced as longevity. Literally: the shy bird is the long-lived bird

Is “chim nhát là chim sống lâu” formal or informal?

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

👁 Views 0 today 0 past 7 days 0 this month 0 all time