Tiếng Việt · Idiom Attested

trèo cao té đau

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

Meaning · English

the bigger they are, the harder they fall

Where it’s used: Used Miền Nam · Southern Vietnam • Wiktionary labels this sense “Southern”

Examples

Mày đừng có trèo cao té đau, tao sẽ đá mày xuống mà không cần nhìn lại.Don't you dare climb high and fall hard, I will kick you down and not look back.

Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sources & notes

Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗

Equivalents & related

Near equivalent the bigger they are, the harder they fall The more powerful or prominent someone is, the more severely they will be affected by a failure or downfall. English Near equivalent the customer is always right Businesses should prioritize customer satisfaction English

Common questions

What does “trèo cao té đau” mean?

the bigger they are, the harder they fall

Is “trèo cao té đau” formal or informal?

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

What is the closest equivalent?

“the bigger they are, the harder they fall” (English) — near equivalent.