họa lai thần ám

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

Meaning · English

When calamity arrives, the wits go dark — in the thick of trouble, the mind can't find its own door; blessing's opposite, where luck sharpens thought.

Literally: misfortune comes, the spirit dims
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 “họa lai thần ám” mean?

When calamity arrives, the wits go dark — in the thick of trouble, the mind can't find its own door; blessing's opposite, where luck sharpens thought. Literally: misfortune comes, the spirit dims

Is “họa lai thần ám” formal or informal?

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