trâu sống không ai mà cả, trâu ngã nhiều kẽ cầm dao
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
No offers while the buffalo lives; a dozen knives when it falls — vultures respect only the moment of collapse.
Literally: live buffalo: none bargains; fallen: many hold knives
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 “trâu sống không ai mà cả, trâu ngã nhiều kẽ cầm dao” mean?
No offers while the buffalo lives; a dozen knives when it falls — vultures respect only the moment of collapse. Literally: live buffalo: none bargains; fallen: many hold knives
Is “trâu sống không ai mà cả, trâu ngã nhiều kẽ cầm dao” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.