Tiếng Việt · Idiom Attested

quân tử trả thù, mười năm chưa muộn

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

Meaning · English

revenge is a dish best served cold

Where it’s used: Used Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora

Examples

Cho nên đám cưới tao mới diễn ra suôn xẻ. Nhưng quân tử trả thù mười năm chưa muộn. Nay nó thế, mai nó khác thì sao.Thus, my marriage was performed without a hitch. But, it is never too late to seek revenge. Everything is fine now, but it might not be like this tomorrow.

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 ↗

Equivalents & related

Near equivalent revenge is a dish best served cold It's more satisfying to take revenge after a long time has passed English Near equivalent see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil Avoid acknowledging or engaging in wrongdoing English

Common questions

What does “quân tử trả thù, mười năm chưa muộn” mean?

revenge is a dish best served cold

Is “quân tử trả thù, mười năm chưa muộn” formal or informal?

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

What is the closest equivalent?

“revenge is a dish best served cold” (English) — near equivalent.