Đói trong ruột không ai biết, rách ngoài cật lắm kẻ hay
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: đói trong ruột không ai biết, rách ngoài cật nhiều kẻ hay
Meaning · English
Inner problems are hidden, but outward flaws are noticeable to many
Literally: Hunger in stomach no one knows, torn outside many people notice
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Sources & notes
Listed on Vietnamese Wikiquote “Tục ngữ Việt Nam” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30); 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 “Đói trong ruột không ai biết, rách ngoài cật lắm kẻ hay” mean?
Inner problems are hidden, but outward flaws are noticeable to many Literally: Hunger in stomach no one knows, torn outside many people notice
Is “Đói trong ruột không ai biết, rách ngoài cật lắm kẻ hay” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.