ngậm đắng nuốt cay
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Holding the bitter, swallowing the acrid — grievance eaten daily and in silence.
Literally: hold bitterness, swallow pungency
Examples
Bao năm ngậm đắng nuốt cay.Years of holding the bitter and swallowing the sharp.
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 đắng nuốt cay” mean?
Holding the bitter, swallowing the acrid — grievance eaten daily and in silence. Literally: hold bitterness, swallow pungency
Is “ngậm đắng nuốt cay” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.