ngàn cân treo sợi tóc
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
precarious, on thin ice
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Examples
Người dân tại chảo lửa Mosul, Iraq, luôn phải sống trong cảnh "ngàn cân treo sợi tóc", đương đầu với mưa bom, bão đạn, gần như mỗi ngày.Civilians in volatile Mosul, Iraq, continuously lead precarious lives, having to deal with bombs raining down and showers of bullets almost daily.
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sources & notes
Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗
Common questions
What does “ngàn cân treo sợi tóc” mean?
precarious, on thin ice
Is “ngàn cân treo sợi tóc” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.