có khế ế chanh
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Selling starfruit, talking down the lemons — every peddler dispraises the rival's basket.
Literally: having starfruit, the lemon goes unsold
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 khế ế chanh” mean?
Selling starfruit, talking down the lemons — every peddler dispraises the rival's basket. Literally: having starfruit, the lemon goes unsold
Is “có khế ế chanh” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.