Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

thủy chỉ thanh tắc vô ngư, nhơn chí sát tắc vô đồ

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

Meaning · English

Water too clear keeps no fish; a person too exacting keeps no friends — every bond needs a little silt.

Literally: water utterly clear: no fish; person utterly scrutinizing: no companions

Examples

Xét nét quá ai dám chơi, thủy chí thanh tắc vô ngư.Too exacting and no one stays — perfectly clear water holds no fish.

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 “thủy chỉ thanh tắc vô ngư, nhơn chí sát tắc vô đồ” mean?

Water too clear keeps no fish; a person too exacting keeps no friends — every bond needs a little silt. Literally: water utterly clear: no fish; person utterly scrutinizing: no companions

Is “thủy chỉ thanh tắc vô ngư, nhơn chí sát tắc vô đồ” formal or informal?

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