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.
Advertisement
Ad space — ads help keep Idiomer free. Premium will remove them.
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.
Advertisement
Ad space — ads help keep Idiomer free. Premium will remove them.