Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

khôn đâu cho trẻ, khỏe đâu cho già

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

Also seen as: khôn gì trẻ, khoẻ gì già

Meaning · English

Wisdom skips the young, vigor skips the old — each age lacks the other's gift.

Literally: where's wisdom for the young, strength for the old

Examples

Khôn đâu cho trẻ, khỏe đâu cho già.The young lack seasoning, the old lack steam.

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 “khôn đâu cho trẻ, khỏe đâu cho già” mean?

Wisdom skips the young, vigor skips the old — each age lacks the other's gift. Literally: where's wisdom for the young, strength for the old

Is “khôn đâu cho trẻ, khỏe đâu cho già” formal or informal?

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