thuyền dời bến cũ không dời
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The boat may move; the old wharf never does — affections change vessels, not their moorings.
Literally: the boat shifts, the old landing doesn't
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 “thuyền dời bến cũ không dời” mean?
The boat may move; the old wharf never does — affections change vessels, not their moorings. Literally: the boat shifts, the old landing doesn't
Is “thuyền dời bến cũ không dời” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.