nhứt nhựt tại tù, thiên thu tại ngoại
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
One day in prison, a thousand autumns outside — captivity's clock runs a millennium per day.
Literally: one day in jail, a thousand autumns beyond
Examples
Nhứt nhựt tại tù thiên thu tại ngoại, đừng dại mà thử.One day inside is a thousand years outside — don't find out.
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 “nhứt nhựt tại tù, thiên thu tại ngoại” mean?
One day in prison, a thousand autumns outside — captivity's clock runs a millennium per day. Literally: one day in jail, a thousand autumns beyond
Is “nhứt nhựt tại tù, thiên thu tại ngoại” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.