Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

mài mực ru con, mài son đánh giặc

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In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Grinding ink she lulls the child; grinding vermilion she routs invaders — the Vietnamese woman's two-handed legend.

Literally: grind ink lulling the child, grind cinnabar fighting the foe

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 “mài mực ru con, mài son đánh giặc” mean?

Grinding ink she lulls the child; grinding vermilion she routs invaders — the Vietnamese woman's two-handed legend. Literally: grind ink lulling the child, grind cinnabar fighting the foe

Is “mài mực ru con, mài son đánh giặc” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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