đói ăn rau đau uống thuốc
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Hungry, eat greens; ailing, take medicine — each want has its own plain remedy; don't cross the prescriptions.
Literally: hungry: eat vegetables; ill: drink medicine
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 “đói ăn rau đau uống thuốc” mean?
Hungry, eat greens; ailing, take medicine — each want has its own plain remedy; don't cross the prescriptions. Literally: hungry: eat vegetables; ill: drink medicine
Is “đói ăn rau đau uống thuốc” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.