gái không chồng như thuyền không lái
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A woman unmarried is a boat without a rudder — so ran the old verse, steering by husband.
Literally: woman husbandless: boat without helm
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 “gái không chồng như thuyền không lái” mean?
A woman unmarried is a boat without a rudder — so ran the old verse, steering by husband. Literally: woman husbandless: boat without helm
Is “gái không chồng như thuyền không lái” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.