Tiếng Việt · Idiom Attested

đói khóc no cười

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

Meaning · English

Racing in strength and racing in breath — rivalry down to the last lungful.

Literally: compete in force, compete in breath

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 “đói khóc no cười” mean?

Racing in strength and racing in breath — rivalry down to the last lungful. Literally: compete in force, compete in breath

Is “đói khóc no cười” formal or informal?

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

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