Ở bầu thì tròn, ở ống thì dài
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Adapting to circumstances to survive or thrive
Literally: In a bag it's round, in a pipe it's long
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Examples
Anh ta là người ở bầu thì tròn, ở ống thì dài, thích nghi với mọi hoàn cảnh.He's a person who adapts to every situation.
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed on Vietnamese Wikiquote “Thành ngữ Việt Nam” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “Ở bầu thì tròn, ở ống thì dài” mean?
Adapting to circumstances to survive or thrive Literally: In a bag it's round, in a pipe it's long
Is “Ở bầu thì tròn, ở ống thì dài” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.