Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

nát giỏ còn bờ tre

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

Meaning · English

The basket breaks; the bamboo hedge stands — the tool is lost, the source that makes tools remains.

Literally: basket ruined, bamboo grove remains

Examples

Mất vốn nhưng còn nghề, nát giỏ còn bờ tre.Capital gone, craft intact — the basket broke, the bamboo stands.

Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)

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 “nát giỏ còn bờ tre” mean?

The basket breaks; the bamboo hedge stands — the tool is lost, the source that makes tools remains. Literally: basket ruined, bamboo grove remains

Is “nát giỏ còn bờ tre” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.