Tiếng Việt · Idiom Attested

còn nước còn tát

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

Also seen as: còn nước, còn tát

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(as long as) there's water left, it can be drained out

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

miễn là còn có thể

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora

Sources & notes

Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

if there's hope, then one should do to the most of their ability

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

nếu còn hy vọng thì nên cố gắng tối đa

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Còn sống thì còn hy vọng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora

Sources & notes

Imported from Wikiquote: Vietnamese proverbs (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29), pending review.

Topics: Water

What does “còn nước còn tát” mean?

(as long as) there's water left, it can be drained out

Is “còn nước còn tát” formal or informal?

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

What is the closest equivalent?

“you are never too old to learn” (English) — near equivalent.