khó sạch rách thơm
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Poor but clean, ragged but fragrant — integrity kept laundered whatever the wardrobe.
Literally: poor yet clean, torn yet fragrant
Examples
Khó sạch rách thơm, nhà ấy đáng trọng.Poor and clean, ragged and fragrant — a household to respect.
Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)
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 “khó sạch rách thơm” mean?
Poor but clean, ragged but fragrant — integrity kept laundered whatever the wardrobe. Literally: poor yet clean, torn yet fragrant
Is “khó sạch rách thơm” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.