Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

kình thân tàm thực

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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.

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