Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

hái củi ba năm thiêu một giờ

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

Also seen as: thương cung chi điểu, kinh khúc mộc

Meaning · English

Three years' firewood, one hour's blaze — hoarded labor spent in a single carelessness.

Literally: gather wood three years, burn in one hour

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 “hái củi ba năm thiêu một giờ” mean?

Three years' firewood, one hour's blaze — hoarded labor spent in a single carelessness. Literally: gather wood three years, burn in one hour

Is “hái củi ba năm thiêu một giờ” formal or informal?

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

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