giúp lời không ai giúp của, giúp đũa không ai giúp cơm
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Words are lent freely, wealth never; chopsticks are offered, rice is not — help stops where cost begins.
Literally: help with words, not goods; help with chopsticks, not rice
Sources & notes
Discovered via Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “giúp lời không ai giúp của, giúp đũa không ai giúp cơm” mean?
Words are lent freely, wealth never; chopsticks are offered, rice is not — help stops where cost begins. Literally: help with words, not goods; help with chopsticks, not rice
Is “giúp lời không ai giúp của, giúp đũa không ai giúp cơm” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.