một sâu bỏ cả nồi canh
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
One worm spoils the whole soup-pot — a single bad actor sours the lot.
Literally: one caterpillar dropped ruins the soup
Examples
Con sâu làm rầu nồi canh.One worm grieves the whole pot.
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 sâu bỏ cả nồi canh” mean?
One worm spoils the whole soup-pot — a single bad actor sours the lot. Literally: one caterpillar dropped ruins the soup
Is “một sâu bỏ cả nồi canh” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.