đạn đâu bắn sẻ, gươm đâu chém ruồi
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
No bullet for a sparrow, no sword for a fly — heavy weapons decline small game.
Literally: what bullet shoots sparrows, what sword cuts flies
Sources & notes
Discovered via Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “đạn đâu bắn sẻ, gươm đâu chém ruồi” mean?
No bullet for a sparrow, no sword for a fly — heavy weapons decline small game. Literally: what bullet shoots sparrows, what sword cuts flies
Is “đạn đâu bắn sẻ, gươm đâu chém ruồi” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.