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.
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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.
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