đói khóc no cười
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.