tốt gỗ hơn tốt nước sơn, xấu người đẹp nết, còn hơn đẹp người
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: tốt gỗ hơn tốt nước sơn Xấu người đẹp nết còn hơn đẹp người
Sound timber beats fine varnish; a plain face with good character beats beauty — the standard verse of substance over surface.
Sources & notes
Discovered via Vietnamese Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “tốt gỗ hơn tốt nước sơn, xấu người đẹp nết, còn hơn đẹp người” mean?
Sound timber beats fine varnish; a plain face with good character beats beauty — the standard verse of substance over surface. Literally: good wood surpasses good paint; homely with good conduct surpasses handsome
Is “tốt gỗ hơn tốt nước sơn, xấu người đẹp nết, còn hơn đẹp người” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.