ngậm bồ hòn làm ngọt
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Holding the soap-nut and calling it sweet — swallowing bitterness with a straight face.
Literally: hold the soapberry, act as if sweet
Examples
Bị oan mà đành ngậm bồ hòn làm ngọt.Wronged, and holding the soap-nut like candy.
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 “ngậm bồ hòn làm ngọt” mean?
Holding the soap-nut and calling it sweet — swallowing bitterness with a straight face. Literally: hold the soapberry, act as if sweet
Is “ngậm bồ hòn làm ngọt” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.