VIETNAMESE PROVERBS (TỤC NGỮ VIỆT NAM) Collected and explained by Pham Van Binh 7
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Hà tiện mới giàu, cơ cầu mới có
(He who is stingy and severe gets rich)
The rich are often stingy and severe
Hạc lập, kê quần
(The crane stands alone whereas the chickens gather together)
Noble men often stand alone to keep their integrity among the humble
Hai tay vun lỗ miệng
(The two hands serve just the mouth)
One works hard just for his daily life
Hai vợ chồng son, đẻ một con thành bốn
(A married couple plus one child equals four)
To bring up a child, one should spend a lot of time and money
Cp: One chick keeps a hen busy
Hại nhân, nhân hại
(If you do others harm, others will do you harm too)
One should be good to others
Ham cái nết, không hết chi người
(You are loved for your good character but for yourself there are plenty)
One’s character is the most impotant part in himself
Ham một đĩa, bỏ cả mâm
(He who is greedy of a plate loses a tray)
One may lose a big thing for trying to get a small one
Cp: Better lose the saddle than the horse
Hang hùm ai dám mó tay ?
(Who dare put his hands into a tiger’s den ?)
Nobody dares to do a dangerous job or contact a dangerous person
Hàng bấc thì qua, hàng quà thì nhớ
(She who forgets the wick stall remembers the snack one)
One just remembers what is close to him
Hàng săng chết bó chiếu
(A dead coffin-maker is wrapped in a mat )
One may get no luck to enjoy his products
Cp: The cobbler’s wife is the worst shod
Hàng thịt nguýt hàng cá
(The butcher gives the fishwife a dirty look )
Nobody wants to share his customers with others
There is no unity among those who have desire for the same target
Cp: Two dogs over one bone seldom agree
Hàng tổng đuổi kẻ cướp
(The folks of a canton chase robbers)
One is not active in the matters which are not close to his interest
Hát đình nào, chúc đình ấy
(You should give congratulations to the commune hall where you are singing)
As : Ăn cây nào, rào cây ấy
Hạt lúa vàng, hạt thóc cũng vàng
(Paddy is yellow and unhusked rice is yellow, too)
People are alike
Hay ác thì vạc sừng
(A violent buffalo’s horns should be cut)
Cruel people must be punished
Hay ăn miếng ngon, chồng con trả người
(She who likes eating delicous dishes loses both her husband and children)
A gluttonous wife will certainly not have a good care for her family
Hay ăn thì lăn vào bếp
(He who likes eating has to enter the kitchen)
Every happiness or pleasure must be paid
Cp: No pain, no again
Hay chữ không bằng dữ đòn
(Deep knowledge is not so good as strick punishment )
Strick punishment is a good means of education*
Hay của nào, chào của ấy
(He bids offers for the goods he knows best)
One often shows what he is good at
Hay gặp bở, dở gặp sượng
(The good meet the well-cooked pieces while the bad meet
the half-cooked pieces only)
Good people often meet good luck whereas bad people often meet bad luck
Hay khen, hèn chê
(Praise the good and blame the bad)
It’s natural that one praises the good and blames the bad
Hay khi xay lúa, múa khi tắt đèn (đùa)
(He who is good at grinding paddy is good at dancing in the dark, too)(joc)
One is good at work and also good at love-making
Hay không lây hèn, sen không lây bùn
(The noble do not mix with the humble as the lotus doesn’t mix with the mud)
The good are not easily led to evil-doings
Hay làm thì đói, hay nói thì no
(He who is laborious is hungry while she who is talkative is not)
Laborious people may get little to eat while lazy ones may get much
Hay nó ở, dở nó đi
(He stays at a good place and leaves a bad one)
As : Đất lành, chim đậu.
Hay ở, dở bước
(As : Hay nó ở, dở nó đi / Stay if you are good and go off if you are bad)
As : Đất lành, chim đậu
One only accepts the good, not the bad
Hay quần hay áo hay hơi, mà chẳng hay người là
của bỏ đi.
(She is an unwanted lady when both her clothes and beauty are good but herself is not )
As : Cái nết đánh chết cái đẹp
Hay khen, hèn chê
(The good will be praised and the bad will be blamed)
It’s natural that one praises the good and blames the bad
Hậu sinh khả úy
(Young generations are fearful)
Young generations shouldn’t be defied
Hễ chung thì chạ
(Many people together become a mess)
Many people together may cause a disorder
Cp: Two is company but three is none
Hễ nóng nước thì toan vơ rế
(He who sees that the water gets hot intends to take a pot holder)
One may try to find help when he is just going to be at the dead-end
Hết bột, lên bổi
(When the pulp is no more, comes up the waste)
When the good are no more, the bad will behave disgracefully)
Hết cái đến nước
(When the soilid part has been eaten the liquid part will be taken)
When good things have been spent up, bad things will be taken
When the major thing has been settled, the minor thing will be considered
Hết chuyện ta ra chuyện người
(When the insiders’ affair is over, the outsiders’ affair will be talked about )
A talkative person may talk about everything
Hết cơn bĩ cực đến tuần thái lai
(As : Bĩ cực, thái lai)
Hết của nhà, ra của người
(When he has spent up his own property he’ll spend others’)
A prodigal person may not only spend his own property but also others’
Hết gạo thì nạo thêm khoai
(Scrape potatoes for the meal when no rice is left)
One should use all means to keep up when in need
Hết hương còn khói
(When the incense is not left, there is still its smoke)
When something is not left, its effect still exists
Hết khôn, dồn dại
(Out of wisdom, into nonsense)
One is sometimes not able to keep his wisdom
Hết nạc vạc đến xương
(He who has eaten up the meat spares no bones)
In his need, a bad man may squeeze out wealth from his relatives
Hết quan, hoàn dân
(When he is not a mandarin any more he’ll return to a
common folk’s life)
Sooner or later, a governmental official will come back
to a common folk's life
Hết thuốc, hết xôi
(No more medicine , no more sticky rice)
No more service, no more payment and gifts
One may soon forget others’ help
Hết xôi, rồi việc
(No more sticky rice, no more work)
No paying, no working
Cp: No money, no piper
Hiền lành cắn sành không vỡ (mỉa)
(He is too mild to break earthenware with his teeth)(ironic)
One may hide his cruelty behind his gentle appearance
Hiền lành trước mặt, làm giặc sau lưng
(He is mild in front of you but does tricks behind you)
One may show his bad nature behind his superior though he often pretends to be gentle in front of his superior
Hiền quá hóa ngu
(Too mild is stupid)
A mild-tempered man is easily misled
Hiền với bụt, ai hiền với ma
(Nobody is kind to devils but Buddha)
As : Đi với bụt mặc áo cà sa, đi với ma mặc áo giấy
Hò voi, bắn súng sậy
(He who beats about bushes with loud cries shoots at an
elephant with a gun of reed)
One may start an undertaking with a lot of big words but his performance is too little
Họ nhà tôm lộn cứt lên đầu
(The shimp bears its shit on its head)
In a family or clan, the inferior may not respect the superiior
Hoa đâu, bướm đấy
(Butterflies gather where flowers grow)
Man often follows woman
Hoa mất nhị lấy gì làm thơm
(The flower that lost its pistil is no longer fragrant)
Those who have lost their virtue are of no value
Hoa thơm hái cả cụm
(He who learns the flowers are sweet picks up all of them to smell)
One may marry or have sexual intercourse with two or more than two sisters of a family*
Họa bởi miệng ra, bệnh qua miệng vào
(Misfortune goes out and diseases come in all via the mouth)
One gets misfortune or diseases mostly because of his mouth
Họa hổ bất thành hổ
(He drew a tiger but it didn’t look like a tiger yet )
A man of no talent can’t do great work
Họa tùy khẩu xuất, bệnh tùy khẩu nhập
(As : Họa bởi miệng ra, bệnh qua miệng vào)
Họa trung hữu phúc
(There is good luck even in misfortune)
As : Đắm đò nhân thể giặt mẹt
Hoài cành mai cho cú đậu
(It’s wasteful to bring apricot branches for the owl to perch)
It’s pitiful that a beautiful and gentle girl should have to become an ugly or cruel man’s wife
Hoài hồng ngâm cho chuột vọc, hoài hạt ngọc cho ngâu vầy
(It’s wasteful to give a mouse persimmons to eat and give a buffalo pearls to play with)
As : Hoài cành mai cho cú đậu
Hoài phân đem đổ ruộng người
(It’s wasteful of him to scatter his manure in another’s field)
A selfish man never wants to help others
It's stupid to give things to strangers
Hoài thóc ta cho gà người bới
(It’s wasteful of him to let others’ chickens peck his unhusked rice)
As : Hoài phân đem đổ ruộng người
Hoài tiền mua pháo mượn người đốt
(It’s wasteful to buy fire crackers for others to let off )
One is too foolish to buy things with his own money for others to enjoy
Hoàng kim hắc nhân (thế) tâm
(Gold blackens man’s heart)
One may do wrong or become bad due to material interests
Học ăn, học nói, học gói, học mở
(He learns how to eat, to speak, to pack and to unpack)
One should learn everything from his childhood to be a gentleman
Học chẳng hay, thi may thì đỗ
(He who is not good at learning has passed the exam just by chance)
A bad student may pass an exam by chance
Học khôn đi lính, học tính đi buôn
(He joins the army to learn wisdom and does business to learn calculation)
Army and business are great schools for man
Học tài, thi phận
(Learning shows talent and exams show fortune)
Those who are good at learning may fail at exams and vice versa
Học thành, danh lập
(Study perfection makes the base for fame )
A deep learning brings about a good fame
Học thầy chẳng tày học bạn
(Better learn your friends than your teachers)
One may learn more from his friends than his teachers
Học thì dốt, vợ tốt thì muốn
(He who is bad at learning wants a good wife)
A stupid man also wants to marry a good and beautiful
girl
Hòn bấc ném đi, hòn chì ném lại
(When the piece of pith is thrown forth, the piece of lead will be thrown back)
One shouldn’t make rows with others for what he receives may be much heavier than what he has given
Hòn cứt còn có đầu đuôi (tục)
(Even shit has its head and tail) (vulgar)
One shouldn’t be impolite to his superiors
Hỏng nồi, vơ rế
(He snatches the cooking pot’s holder when it has been broken)
One still tries to snatch some gains from a spoiled undertaking
Hổ phụ sinh hổ tử
(A tiger must have a tiger-cub)
A talented (or heroic) man will have a talented (or heroic) child
Hồn Trương Ba*, da hàng thịt
(His soul is Truong Ba’s but his body is a butcher’s)
One’s talent may not be in accordance with his appearance
One’s characteristics may not be in accordance with his appearance
Hồng nhan bạc mệnh
(A beautiful lady has a short life)
Beautiful women often die early
Hồng nhan đa truân
(A beautiful lady lives an unstable life)
Beautiful women often meet with harships and difficulties
Hơn chẳng bõ hao
(The gain is less than the loss)
One’s work may bring to him more bad things than good ones
Cp: Why keep the cow when you can buy milk
Hơn một ngày, hay một chước
(He who is one day older thinks out one more ruse)
Old people have more experience of living than young ones
Hủi không sợ ghẻ
(A leper doesn’t fear itch)
Those who have experienced a lot of great hardships or miseries will not fear petty ones
Cp: He that is down need fear no fall
Hùm dữ không ăn thịt con
(Even a wicked tiger never eats his cubs)
No parents are cruel to their children
Cp: Dog does not eat dog
Hùm giết người hùm ngủ, người giết người thức đủ năm canh
(The tiger that has eaten a man still sleeps soundly but the man who has killed another stays up through the night)
A man of unclean conscience is never at ease
Cp: A good conscience is a soft pillow
Hùm hay kêu nhưng hùm không cắn, rắn không kêu rắn cắn chết người
(The tiger roars but doesn’t bite while the snake doesn’t roar but may bite a man to death)
A taciturn person is a really dangerous man
Men of great will or talent often bear a calm air
Cp: Dumb dogs are dangerous
Hùm mất hươu hơn mèo mất thịt
(It’s more difficult for a tiger to stand the loss of its game than a cat )
A man of a high position feels more miserable than a man of a low one when losing his interests
Hùm thiêng khi đã sa cơ cũng hèn
(Even an angelic tiger may become humble when falling into a trap)
Even a hero may become an ordinary creature or a coward when he falls on evil days
Hung chi hơn gạo, bạo chi hơn tiền
(Nothing is more aggressive than rice and nothing is more daring than money)
Wealth can give a man self-confidence
Húng mọc, tía tô cũng mọc
(When the peppermint grows, the balmmint grows, too)
One may imitate others blindly
Hương năng thắp năng khói, người năng nói năng lỗi
(A regularly burnt incense stick is smoky and a regular speaker gets a lot of faults)
Much speaking may bring about lots of faults
Hương năng thắp năng khói, người năng tới năng
thường
(A regularly burnt incense stick is smoky and a regular visitor gets no sympathy)
A regular visitation breeds familiarity
Cp: A constant guest is never welcome
Hữu xạ, tự nhiên hương
(The musk smells sweet by itself)
True value needs no advertisements
Cp: Good wine needs no bush
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