làm ruộng ăn cơm nằm, để tằm ăn cơm đứng
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: làm ruộng ăn cơm nằm, chăn tằm ăn cơm đứng
The farmer eats lying down; the silkworm-keeper eats standing up — one calendar allows rest, the other never.
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 “làm ruộng ăn cơm nằm, để tằm ăn cơm đứng” mean?
The farmer eats lying down; the silkworm-keeper eats standing up — one calendar allows rest, the other never. Literally: farm rice eaten lying; silkworm rice eaten standing
Is “làm ruộng ăn cơm nằm, để tằm ăn cơm đứng” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.