Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

hoạn đắc hoạn thất

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

Meaning · English

Fretting to gain, fretting to keep — a life spent clenched around having.

Literally: anxious to obtain, anxious to lose

Examples

Cả đời hoạn đắc hoạn thất, chẳng lúc nào yên.A whole life fretting to get and fretting to keep — never a still hour.

Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)

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 “hoạn đắc hoạn thất” mean?

Fretting to gain, fretting to keep — a life spent clenched around having. Literally: anxious to obtain, anxious to lose

Is “hoạn đắc hoạn thất” formal or informal?

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

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