kình thân tàm thực
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The whale swallows, the silkworm nibbles — encroachment by gulp or by inch, both eat you whole.
Literally: whale gulping, silkworm eating
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 “kình thân tàm thực” mean?
The whale swallows, the silkworm nibbles — encroachment by gulp or by inch, both eat you whole. Literally: whale gulping, silkworm eating
Is “kình thân tàm thực” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.