lành làm gáo, vỡ làm môi
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Whole, it's a dipper; broken, a ladle — every state of the gourd still serves.
Literally: intact: a gourd-scoop; broken: a ladle
Sources & notes
Discovered via Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “lành làm gáo, vỡ làm môi” mean?
Whole, it's a dipper; broken, a ladle — every state of the gourd still serves. Literally: intact: a gourd-scoop; broken: a ladle
Is “lành làm gáo, vỡ làm môi” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.