mực mài tròn, son mài dài
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Ink is ground in circles, vermilion in strokes — every craft by its own proper motion.
Literally: ink ground round, cinnabar ground long
Sources & notes
Discovered via Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “mực mài tròn, son mài dài” mean?
Ink is ground in circles, vermilion in strokes — every craft by its own proper motion. Literally: ink ground round, cinnabar ground long
Is “mực mài tròn, son mài dài” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.