Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

một con sâu làm rầu nồi canh

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

Meaning · English

One worm sours the whole pot of soup — a single bad actor ruins the group’s name and everyone’s appetite; the Vietnamese take on the rotten apple.

Literally: one caterpillar saddens the pot of soup

Examples

Cả lớp bị cấm túc vì một bạn quay cóp — một con sâu làm rầu nồi canh.The whole class got detention over one cheater — one worm souring the pot.

Editorial example (batch 059)

Sources & notes

Number-idiom class scrape (2026-08-11): violet.vn exercise list + voh.com.vn/song-dep/tuc-ngu-viet-nam-379232.html + vndoc.com roundup. Definition original.

Common questions

What does “một con sâu làm rầu nồi canh” mean?

One worm sours the whole pot of soup — a single bad actor ruins the group’s name and everyone’s appetite; the Vietnamese take on the rotten apple. Literally: one caterpillar saddens the pot of soup

Is “một con sâu làm rầu nồi canh” formal or informal?

một con sâu làm rầu nồi canh is generally neutral.

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