mò kim đáy bể
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: mò kim đốn bể
Meaning · English
to look for a needle in a haystack; literally "to blindly look for a needle at the bottom of the ocean"
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Sources & notes
Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “mò kim đáy bể” mean?
to look for a needle in a haystack; literally "to blindly look for a needle at the bottom of the ocean"
Is “mò kim đáy bể” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“needle in a haystack” (English) — near equivalent.