Đi ngang về tắt
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
To start something but not finish it
Literally: go sideways come back cut off
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Examples
Anh ấy bắt đầu viết sách nhưng đi ngang về tắt.He started writing a book but didn't finish it.
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed on Vietnamese Wikiquote “Thành ngữ Việt Nam” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “Đi ngang về tắt” mean?
To start something but not finish it Literally: go sideways come back cut off
Is “Đi ngang về tắt” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.