một nghề thì kín, chín nghề thì hở
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
One trade holds tight; nine trades leak — mastery is watertight only undivided.
Literally: one craft: sealed; nine crafts: gaping
Examples
Một nghề thì kín, chín nghề thì hở.One craft seals; nine crafts leak.
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 nghề thì kín, chín nghề thì hở” mean?
One trade holds tight; nine trades leak — mastery is watertight only undivided. Literally: one craft: sealed; nine crafts: gaping
Is “một nghề thì kín, chín nghề thì hở” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.