Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

nói chín thì phải làm mười

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In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Promise nine, deliver ten — whatever you commit to out loud, your hands must slightly outdo; talk writes checks that work has to over-cash.

Literally: say nine, then you must do ten

Examples

Đã hứa với khách thì nói chín phải làm mười, đừng để mất uy tín.Once you promise a client, say nine and do ten — reputation rides on it.

Editorial example (batch 059)

Sources & notes

Number-idiom class scrape (2026-08-11): violet.vn exercise list + voh.com.vn/song-dep/tuc-ngu-viet-nam-379232.html + vndoc.com roundup. Definition original.

Common questions

What does “nói chín thì phải làm mười” mean?

Promise nine, deliver ten — whatever you commit to out loud, your hands must slightly outdo; talk writes checks that work has to over-cash. Literally: say nine, then you must do ten

Is “nói chín thì phải làm mười” formal or informal?

nói chín thì phải làm mười is generally neutral.

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