Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

trẻ cậy cha, già cậy con

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

Meaning · English

Young, lean on father; old, lean on children — the lifecycle of dependence, both directions honored.

Literally: young: rely on father; old: rely on children

Examples

Trẻ cậy cha, già cậy con.The young lean on father; the old lean on their children.

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 “trẻ cậy cha, già cậy con” mean?

Young, lean on father; old, lean on children — the lifecycle of dependence, both directions honored. Literally: young: rely on father; old: rely on children

Is “trẻ cậy cha, già cậy con” formal or informal?

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