Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

dột từ nóc dột xuống

🎙 Say it

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

Meaning · English

The leak starts at the roof-ridge and works down — rot begins at the top of the house.

Literally: leaking from the ridge downward

Examples

Dột từ nóc dột xuống, hỏng từ lãnh đạo.The leak starts at the ridge — decay begins with the leadership.

Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)

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 “dột từ nóc dột xuống” mean?

The leak starts at the roof-ridge and works down — rot begins at the top of the house. Literally: leaking from the ridge downward

Is “dột từ nóc dột xuống” formal or informal?

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

👁 Views 0 today 0 past 7 days 0 this month 0 all time