có cha có mẹ có hơn, không cha không mẹ, như đờn đứt dây
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: không cha không mẹ như đàn đứt dây
Meaning · English
Better with father and mother than without — an orphan is a lute with snapped strings.
Literally: having parents is better; parentless, a broken-stringed lute
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 “có cha có mẹ có hơn, không cha không mẹ, như đờn đứt dây” mean?
Better with father and mother than without — an orphan is a lute with snapped strings. Literally: having parents is better; parentless, a broken-stringed lute
Is “có cha có mẹ có hơn, không cha không mẹ, như đờn đứt dây” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.