Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

xấu gỗ tốt nước sơn

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

Meaning · English

Poor wood under fine varnish — surface investment where substance is missing.

Literally: bad timber, good paintwork

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 “xấu gỗ tốt nước sơn” mean?

Poor wood under fine varnish — surface investment where substance is missing. Literally: bad timber, good paintwork

Is “xấu gỗ tốt nước sơn” formal or informal?

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

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