Character & personality

don't judge a book by its cover Do not judge the worth of something or someone by appearance alone. ăn cháo đá bát To be ungrateful — to turn against or abandon the very person who helped you. gần mực thì đen, gần đèn thì sáng You take on the character of the company you keep — bad company corrupts, good company uplifts. thẳng như ruột ngựa Completely frank and direct — saying exactly what one thinks, without scheming. mighty white of you, and variations thereof "thank you for being fair. don't bite the hand that feeds you Don't be ungrateful to individuals who aid you. Brevity is the soul of wit (William Shakespeare) Being concise is a key element of cleverness Courage is the measure of a Man, Beauty is the measure of a Woman A person's character is judged by their bravery or moral strength, not physical appearance Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love (Laozi, Chinese philosopher, 604 BC – c. 531 BC) Kindness fosters strong relationships and personal growth patience is a virtue Being patient is a morally good quality Variety is the spice of life. William Cowper, English poet (1731–1800) New experiences and change make life more interesting virtue is its own reward Doing good is rewarding in itself good and evil A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review. Dutch courage Bravery induced by drinking alcohol. build character Develop strength and personality through experience and challenges courage of one's convictions Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review. give a good account of oneself Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review. in character Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review. keep one's temper remain calm and composed, especially in a difficult situation moral of the story Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review. patience of Mother Teresa Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review. patience of a saint Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review. patience of an angel Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review. test someone's patience Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review. có chí làm quan, có gan làm giàu Close to the English saying: “Fortune favors the brave.”. kiên nhẫn là mẹ thành công patience is mother of success. duyên dáng (adjective) charming, graceful lòng thành (noun) sincerity, honesty nhân văn (adjective) humanist; humanistic tính chất (noun) a characteristic; property; quality; nature đặc trưng (noun) characteristic, feature liêm khiết (adjective) honest, upright dũng cảm (adjective) brave; courageous đặc sắc (adjective) distinctive; outstanding; characteristic đặc điểm (noun) peculiarity; feature; characteristic cốt cách (noun) a desirable standard of personality uy tín (noun) credibility; fame and trustability thanks to goodwill; prestige tốt bụng (adjective) kind-hearted, good-natured chịu đựng (verb) to endure; to bear; to withstand bản sắc (noun) identity; character kiên nhẫn (adjective) patient (having patience) tính cách (noun) personality; character; trait phương phi (adjective) stout; portly; corpulent thật thà (adjective) truthful; honest; sincere thừa nhận (verb) to recognise (one's shortcomings, faults, etc.) ôn hoà (adjective) temperate; moderate; mild; gentle chín chắn (adjective) mature; patient, composed, and prudent (like an adult) tử tế (adjective) decent; proper; nice bền vững (adjective) strong; firm; unshakeable; sustainable chững chạc (adjective) decent; proper; stately and dignified ngang bướng (adjective) obstinate; stubborn trung thành (adjective) loyal; faithful; true; devoted hào hoa (adjective) generous and polite; liberal ẻo lả (adjective) weak (from lack of strength); puny; feeble thô lỗ (adjective) crude; rude; crass; boorish; uncouth gan dạ (adjective) brave; courageous can đảm (adjective) courageous; brave nôn nóng (adjective) impatient; eager; anxious hào phóng (adjective) generous; liberal; open-handed chân thành (adjective) sincere; genuine; heartfelt; honest thành tâm (adjective) sincere; candid; candour cá tính (noun) one's own personality; individuality hiền lành (adjective) good-natured; gentle trung thực (adjective) faithful; sincere đàng hoàng (adjective) comfortably off; well-off ngoan cố (adjective) stubborn; obstinate thú nhận (verb) to confess (one's guilt); to admit to; to own to; to acknowledge bản tính (noun) inherent nature; character thân thiện (adjective) friendly; amicable thành thật (adjective) sincere; honest; frank khoan dung (adjective) tolerant; lenient tính tình (noun) disposition; temperament; character tính nết (noun) disposition; nature; character bướng bỉnh (adjective) stubborn; obstinate cục cằn (adjective) irritable and rude; grumpy and uncouth; having a bad temper khoan hồng (verb) to be clement; to be merciful; to be lenient hiền hoà (adjective) mild; gentle; meek and affable cứng đầu (adjective) headstrong; stubborn; obstinate cứng cổ (adjective) obstinate; stubborn; stiff-necked đạo đức (noun) morality; ethics tâm tính (noun) personal character; disposition liêm chính (adjective) incorruptible; honest and upright liêm sỉ (noun) being honest and upright in one's ways and having a sense of shame trong sạch (adjective) clear; pure (generally speaking) đặc thù (noun) characteristic tiêu biểu (verb) to symbolise; to represent; to typify thuộc tính (noun) attribute; character; feature bặt thiệp (adjective) charismatic with one's interpersonal social skills; courteous; well-mannered; engaging; urbane; sociable điển hình (adjective) typical; characteristic ngang ngược (adjective) perverse; defiant; unruly; obstinate; recalcitrant thật lòng (adjective) sincere; frank; honest chân thật (adjective) honest; truthful; candid; frank phẩm chất (noun) quality; virtue nhí nhảnh (adjective) sprightly; joyful; lively; cutesy; flippant mất dạy (adjective) ill-bred or unmannerly, especially prone to cursing, having perverted thoughts or saying tasteless things bền chặt (adjective) steadfast; strong; enduring hiền hậu (adjective) gentle and righteous nhân hậu (adjective) kind-hearted; gracious phong thái (noun) manners and attitude; carriage; bearing đức tính (noun) virtue; good quality bao dung (adjective) lenient; generous; forgiving; tolerant thẳng thắn (adjective) very straight, not deviated or curved cứng cáp (adjective) robust; vigorous; sturdy; thriving thú thật (verb) to confess; to own chất phác (adjective) simple-hearted; humble; modest; unpretentious hiểm hóc (adjective) dangerous and challenging; rugged and unforgiving vui tính (adjective) cheerful (in personality); jovial; lighthearted phúc hậu (adjective) good-natured, kindly chân tình (noun) utter sincerity; true feelings; genuine sentiments ba que xỏ lá cheating and caddish; wicked and malicious; deceitful; roguish tứ đức (noun) the four qualities that women are supposed to have, namely công (“competence”), dung (“beauty”), ngôn (“eloquence”), hạnh (“virtue”) bảo thủ (adjective) stubborn; obstinate; adamant chính trực (adjective) upright; honest; ethical tương thân tương ái to be altruistic and charitable to each other, especially in times of crisis or disaster quả cảm (adjective) heroically brave or courageous, especially if willing to sacrifice one's own life yêu kiều (adjective) charming, graceful trinh bạch (adjective) chaste, virginal, virtuous dũng khí (noun) courage; nerve trụ vững (adjective) perseverant, enduring despite hardship khí chất (noun) aura (of a person); qualities tố chất (noun) inner quality, character, nature đô hội (adjective) characteristic of a major city, urban and lively tâm địa (noun) character; heart thật tình (adjective) truthful; honest; frank khôn nhà dại chợ clever at home but foolish out on the street; a smart aleck among family but timid among strangers tốt khoe xấu che people tend to show what's good about themselves and hide what's bad trung trinh (adjective) faithful, loyal ác khẩu (adjective) too eager to say hurtful things; bad-mouthed, tactless, inconsiderate, etc. bác ái (adjective) altruistic; humane; compassionate bẩm tính (noun) disposition; innate character bố thí (noun) almsgiving; charity tốt lành (adjective) benevolent; favorable; beneficial thật sự mà nói to be honest; honestly, frankly anh dũng (adjective) heroic; valiant; brave; gallant chấp nhất (verb) to dispute; to resent; to contest câu chấp (verb) to nitpick; to quibble; to be petty chấp nê (verb) to be stubborn; to be obstinate tư chất (noun) aptitude; intelligence; intellect ân tình (noun) kindness; affection; compassion cứng cựa (adjective) persistent; tenacious; adamant cứng cỏi (adjective) unyielding; resilient; tough chân phương (adjective) orderly; proper; neat and tidy chí lí (adjective) logical; reasonable; rational; shrewd bền chí (adjective) perseverant; persistent; determined patiently chí tình (adjective) extremely sincere; very genuine; greatly heartfelt ngay thật (adjective) sincere; honest; humble tiên học lễ, hậu học văn learn manners first, then learn literature chính chuyên (adjective) virtuous; moral, faithful, and polite chính đại (adjective) straightforward; upright; honest lực lưỡng (adjective) sturdy and muscular khiếp nhược (adjective) cowardly; spineless; timid lửa thử vàng, gian nan thử sức fire tests gold, hardship tests strength từ bi (adjective) compassionate, merciful; benevolent; pitying bản lĩnh (noun) the personality of a capable and confident person who dares to take responsibility and does not back down in the face of difficulties hoà nhã (adjective) affable, courteous ngỗ nghịch (adjective) disobedient; naughty (of children); undisciplined; mischievous; refractory đoan trang (adjective) dignified and decorous trung nghĩa (adjective) loyal, faithful trông lên thì chẳng bằng ai, trông xuống thì cũng chẳng ai bằng mình Looking up, I am no one's equal; looking down, no one is my equal either. lấy dạ tiểu nhân đo lòng quân tử to be cynical; to be skeptical of the integrity, sincerity, or motives of others; to psychologically project mềm mỏng (adjective) flexible; pliant; malleable lễ nghĩa (noun) politeness and reason; decorum and decency; propriety and rectitude thanh cao (adjective) honest and noble thiên tính (noun) nature; character; instinct thuỳ mị (adjective) graceful; gentle nghịch ngợm (adjective) playful; mischievous. đặc tính (noun) characteristic; feature; peculiarity; trait vững bền (adjective) strong; firm; unshakeable; sustainable nhân nghĩa (noun) benevolence and righteousness kiên cường (adjective) steadfast; resilient; unyielding mắm muối (noun) fish sauce and salt nhún nhường (adjective) mild and respectful dịu hiền (adjective) gentle and caring dũng cảm có thừa (adjective) having outstanding courage; highly courageous tinh ranh (adjective) clever and cunning; mischievous điềm tĩnh (adjective) calm and at ease; patient; unflustered độ lượng (adjective) tolerant; merciful nhân ái (adjective) humane; compassionate; benevolent quang minh chính đại high-principled; open and aboveboard; just and honorable; frank and righteous; without artifice nhân từ (adjective) merciful; clement đức hạnh (noun) virtue; morality; honorable conduct đoan chính (adjective) honest; decent; having integrity ngay thẳng (adjective) honest; decent; having integrity nhẫn nại (adjective) patient; persistent; persevering thô kệch (adjective) unpolished; uncouth; rude; illbred; unmannerly; churlish; boorish tiết tháo (noun) stern moral integrity; principles; constancy quang minh (adjective) open; bright; radiant; righteous; magnanimous thành thực (adjective) sincere; honest; frank ân huệ (noun) grace; favour; kindness dạn dĩ (adjective) hardy; tough and self-confident; aggressive bịp bợm (adjective) dishonest; tricky; swindling; knavish; roguish; cheating; engaging in foul play tần tảo (adjective) industrious tảo tần (adjective) contriving well nhiệt thành (adjective) enthusiastic and sincere can trường (adjective) brave and resilient khiêm cung (adjective) modest and respectful, humble sắt son (adjective) unshakable, firm; faithful lằng nhằng (adjective) messy; complex tiền trao cháo múc rice congee upon payment đề huề (adjective) abundant and/or harmonious bóc mẽ (verb) to tell the truths about a person, and show them/it to be just a facade; to expose someone chưa thấy quan tài chưa đổ lệ to refuse to be convinced until one is faced with the grim reality; to be tenacious, resolute or pertinacious in one's pursuit of a goal des tươi rói (adjective) very fresh nếm mật nằm gai to undergo self-imposed hardships; to nurse vengeance; to endure hardships to accomplish some ambition hỗ huệ (adjective) reciprocal; reciprocity đói cho sạch, rách cho thơm One must remain decent and honorable in spite of hardship. tài tình (adjective) skilled and with much tact and charm nói trắng ra (adverb) to be honest chí thành (adjective) very sincere chính tâm (noun) uprightness; selflessness and impartiality nhân giả (noun) virtuous person, benevolent and altruistic person trung thứ (adjective) loyal and magnanimous; trustworthy and sincere gian ác (adjective) wicked; dishonest and cruel hiền sĩ (noun) person of virtue and ability nhất dáng, nhì da, thứ ba khuôn mặt first a well-shaped figure, second smooth and clear skin, third a pretty face căn tính (noun) inherent nature; character tài đức (noun) talent and kindness hạo nhiên (adjective) noble; upright and indomitable; vast and righteous ăn to nói lớn to be straightforward, bold, and decisive in one's conduct and speech ăn chắc (adjective) certain of success or victory; having something in the bag nhuệ khí (noun) fortitude; drive; morale; ardor; zeal quý hoá (adjective) valuable qua đò khinh sóng To scorn a danger once it is safely behind you — becoming dismissive or arrogant after hardship has passed. green flag Behaviors or personality traits that are considered positive, healthy, or desirable. serving cunt To behave in a bold, confident, feminine manner. vibe check To check one's personality, behavior, or attitude. fair dinkum Genuine, honest, fair and square. straight dinkum Genuine, honest, fair and square. hard case A tough person. fuck you, Jack, I'm alright Used to epitomize arrogance and selfishness, with dismissive disregard of others. for realsies True, genuine, real. keep shady To stay in concealment. rat bastard A thoroughly despicable and untrustworthy person; a scoundrel. Mary Sueish Characteristic of a Mary Sue character. on my life With all honesty and seriousness; affirmatively. stay frosty To be alert and ready for action, without letting one's fear or other emotions get in the way. on God With all honesty and seriousness, used to make a statement honest bad bitch An independent, confident, and attractive woman, especially one that is also highly sought-after or irresistible. that's your sort That's it; that's the spirit; expressing approval or encouragement. real one A trustworthy friend. keep it a buck To be real, honest, truthful. down to every move on the board Sharp and cunning; prepared for any kind of trickery. Ned Kelly A figure or person akin to the iconic Australian bushranger Ned Kelly, typically denoting someone with audacious recklessness or morally que keep it tall To be real, honest, truthful. stingy gut A miser; a stingy, greedy or miserly person. keep it P To keep it real. To be authentic, principled. commit to the bit To remain faithful to one's prior decisions, especially for the sake of humor. keep it trill To stay authentic, or act with integrity. answer for To be held responsible for; to take the blame for something. stand to Alternative form of stand-to. muster up Look within oneself to summon a particular positive quality, such as strength, energy or courage. summon up To look within oneself to find and put into action a particular positive quality, such as strength, energy or courage. gut up To show courage and hide one's apprehension. cheek it through To endure with an air of unearned confidence. gut through To tough it out; to persevere despite pain, fear or setbacks. cool as a cucumber Calm and composed even in difficult or frustrating situations; self-possessed. to thine own self be true Be yourself; be true to yourself; do not engage in self-deception. American as apple pie Having characteristics considered quintessential to American life; very American. like a dog with a bone Stubborn and tenacious; persistent; relentless; dogged. steady as a rock Extremely stable physically. variety is the spice of life Variety is what makes life interesting. keep your friends close, and your enemies closer One should be politic to the point of employing duplicity, lulling one's enemies into a false sense of collaboration. fortune favors the bold Luck is usually on the side of those who take chances and risks. it pays to advertise Good qualities do not get rewarded automatically. like a man Bravely, decisively, and without complaining. what doesn't kill you makes you stronger Hardship builds moral character. no good deed goes unpunished Actions of generosity often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility or demands for further work. man is a wolf to man Humans are often cruel, predatory, and inhumane towards each other. brevity is the soul of wit Conciseness of expression is an essential characteristic of astute, perceptive, or witty remarks. good as one's word Faithful to a promise one has made. English as apple pie Having characteristics considered quintessential to English or British life. wanton kittens make sober cats People who are unruly and reckless in youth may nevertheless turn out to be responsible adults. know thyself Be aware of your own strengths and limitations. hearty as a buck Extremely healthy; extremely lively, high-spirited, or active. it's the thought that counts When giving someone a present or doing a favour for someone, the kindness behind the act is more important than any other consideration. if at first you don't succeed Persistence is important in the pursuit of success. cute as a pin Very cute. trust everybody, but cut the cards One should have general faith in the good intentions of others, but one should never neglect to take appropriate precautions against being d justice is blind Justice is to be meted out impartially, without regard to the identity of the individual being tried. the eyes are the window to the soul One can tell much about a person's character or personality from their eyes. true as I stand here Absolutely true; with no exaggeration or falsehood. no rose without a thorn To enjoy a pleasant subject or thing, one must also accept trouble and hardship. who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl A person tends to acquire the characteristics of those with whom they associate. every rose has its thorn Every good situation includes some aspect of misfortune or adversity. appearances are deceptive It is not possible to judge a person's character from their outward appearance. brave as a lion Very brave; courageous love the sinner, hate the sin One should not treat people badly because of their faults, but one should not go so far as to accept or approve the faults themselves. cold as charity Very cold, whether in temperature or in demeanour. you can't keep a good man down A person who has talent, resolve, or moral strength will eventually succeed despite having been overlooked, injured, or defeated. mild as milk Very mild, in temperament or otherwise. like grim death With savage determination or persistence. australian as a meat pie Having characteristics considered quintessential to Australians; very Australian. what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh One's behavior or characteristics are determined by one's heredity. your vibe attracts your tribe People are attracted to others based on their appearance and behavior. australian as a kangaroo Having characteristics considered quintessential to Australians; very Australian. one bad turn deserves another One act of malice should be paid back by another act of malice. if you want peace, prepare for war Visibly preparing for a fight can deter one's enemies from opening hostilities, by not giving the appearance of an easy target. beauty fades, dumb is forever One's attractiveness will diminish over time, but one's stupidity is perpetual. honest as the day Thoroughly honest. karma's a bitch The consequences for a person who carries out malevolent actions or displays bad behavior will be very unpleasant. fas est et ab hoste doceri One should be open to lessons from other people, even from one's enemies. mean as a snake Having a tough, malicious personality. one must give to get Expressing that reciprocity imparts obligation: one must provide service, respect, and honesty to others if one expects to receive such thin Anger makes dull men witty, but it keeps them poor. (Francis Bacon) Anger inspires clever remarks, but leads to financial trouble. Confidence begets confidence. (Strauss 1994, p. 187) Having confidence inspires others to have confidence in you Coward: one who in a perilous emergency thinks with his legs. (Ambrose Bierce) English proverb; full definition pending editorial review. An ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit. (Mieder 2006, p. 906) English proverb; full definition pending editorial review. Once a gentleman, always a gentleman. (Charles Dickens) English proverb; full definition pending editorial review. Follow glory and it will flee, flee glory and it will follow thee. (Strauss 1994, p. 832) Pursuing fame will make it unattainable, but ignoring it may lead to its attainment He that can have patience can have what he will. (Strauss, 1994 p. 87) English proverb; full definition pending editorial review. Hasty judgment leads to repentance. (Strauss, 1994 p. 196) Making quick decisions often results in regret Man is a noble animal, splendid in ashes, and pompous in the grave. (Thomas Browne) English proverb; full definition pending editorial review. virtue which parleys is near a surrender To compromise on one's principles is to risk abandoning them All the wealth I had ran in my veins; I was a gentleman. (William Shakespeare) English proverb; full definition pending editorial review. A cheerful wife is the spice of life. (Strauss, 1998 p. 20) A happy and cheerful wife brings joy and excitement to life dapper fellow A smart, well-made, little man. easy virtue A lady of easy virtue: an impure or prostitute. greedy guts A covetous or voracious person. honest man A term frequently used by superiors to inferiors. As honest a man as any in the cards when all the kings are out; i.e. a knave. I dare not c scaly fish An honest, rough, blunt sailor. squeeze wax A good-natured foolish fellow, ready to become security for another, under hand and seal. tender parnell A tender creature, fearful of the least puff of wind or drop of rain. As tender as Parnell, who broke her finger in a posset drink. devotional habits Horses weak in the knees, and apt to stumble and fall, are said to have these.—Stable. leary bloke A clever or artful person. nine shillings Cool audacity; most probably derived from the French, NONCHALANCE.