Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

phục dược bất như giảm khẩu

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

Meaning · English

Medicine is less than a smaller mouthful — the diet does what the pharmacy can't.

Literally: taking drugs isn't like reducing the mouth

Examples

Bớt ăn đi đã, phục dược bất như giảm khẩu.Eat less first — no pill beats a smaller portion.

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 “phục dược bất như giảm khẩu” mean?

Medicine is less than a smaller mouthful — the diet does what the pharmacy can't. Literally: taking drugs isn't like reducing the mouth

Is “phục dược bất như giảm khẩu” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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