có nước thì có cá
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Where there's water, there are fish — the pair never parts; one condition brings its companion.
Literally: with water come fish
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 nước thì có cá” mean?
Where there's water, there are fish — the pair never parts; one condition brings its companion. Literally: with water come fish
Is “có nước thì có cá” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.