Ra đi ngó trước ngó sau

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Meaning · English

Be cautious and aware of surroundings

Literally: go out look before look after
Where it’s used: Used Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora

Examples

Khi đi qua đường đông, ra đi ngó trước ngó sau để đảm bảo an toàn.When crossing a busy street, be cautious and look around to ensure safety.

AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

Sources & notes

Listed on Vietnamese Wikiquote “Ca dao 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 “Ra đi ngó trước ngó sau” mean?

Be cautious and aware of surroundings Literally: go out look before look after

Is “Ra đi ngó trước ngó sau” formal or informal?

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