nhất ngôn ký xuất, tứ mã nan truy
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
a word once spoken cannot be taken back; a promise must be kept; a promise is a promise
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Examples
2019, An Nguyên, "Nhất ngôn ký xuất", Thanh Niên (Young People) Online
“Nhất ngôn ký xuất, tứ mã nan truy”, quan chức càng phải thuộc điều này.
“Nhất ngôn ký xuất, tứ mã nan truy” (a word once spoken cannot be overtaken by a four-horse-team), the officials must be even more mindful of this.
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 “nhất ngôn ký xuất, tứ mã nan truy” mean?
a word once spoken cannot be taken back; a promise must be kept; a promise is a promise
Is “nhất ngôn ký xuất, tứ mã nan truy” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.