tốt danh hơn lành áo
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A good name beats a good coat — wear reputation before broadcloth.
Literally: sound fame surpasses sound clothing
Examples
Tốt danh hơn lành áo.A whole name over a whole coat.
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 “tốt danh hơn lành áo” mean?
A good name beats a good coat — wear reputation before broadcloth. Literally: sound fame surpasses sound clothing
Is “tốt danh hơn lành áo” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.