một ngày nên nghĩa, một chữ nên thày
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
One day makes the bond, one character makes the teacher — even the least instruction earns the title.
Literally: one day: the debt; one letter: the master
Examples
Một chữ cũng là thầy, nửa chữ cũng là thầy.One character taught makes a teacher — even half of one.
Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)
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 “một ngày nên nghĩa, một chữ nên thày” mean?
One day makes the bond, one character makes the teacher — even the least instruction earns the title. Literally: one day: the debt; one letter: the master
Is “một ngày nên nghĩa, một chữ nên thày” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.