Tiếng Việt · Idiom Attested

tối lửa tắt đèn

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

Meaning · English

When the fire dims and the lamp goes out — the neighborly hour of need; who comes then is kin.

Literally: fire dark, lamp extinguished

Examples

Tối lửa tắt đèn có nhau.When fire and lamp go out, we have each other.

Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)

Sources & notes

Discovered via Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.

Common questions

What does “tối lửa tắt đèn” mean?

When the fire dims and the lamp goes out — the neighborly hour of need; who comes then is kin. Literally: fire dark, lamp extinguished

Is “tối lửa tắt đèn” formal or informal?

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

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