Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

khôn thì sống, mống thì chết

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

Also seen as: khôn sống mống chết

Meaning · English

The quick live, the slow die — wits are the first survival equipment.

Literally: smart: live; dull-sprouted: die

Examples

Thời buổi ấy khôn thì sống mống thì chết.In those days the quick lived and the slow died.

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 thì sống, mống thì chết” mean?

The quick live, the slow die — wits are the first survival equipment. Literally: smart: live; dull-sprouted: die

Is “khôn thì sống, mống thì chết” formal or informal?

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

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