Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

tự cứu bất hạ,

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

Meaning · English

Can't save yourself, yet rescuing others — the drowning lifeguard problem.

Literally: self-rescue unfinished

Examples

Tự cứu bất hạ mà đòi cứu ai.Can't bail your own boat and you're rescuing others?

Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)

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 “tự cứu bất hạ,” mean?

Can't save yourself, yet rescuing others — the drowning lifeguard problem. Literally: self-rescue unfinished

Is “tự cứu bất hạ,” formal or informal?

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

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