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Vietnamese Idioms (Thành ngữ tiếng Việt) - Collected and explained by Pham Van Binh (2)
Ác như hùm
(To be as cruel as a tiger / tigers. Tiger - cruel)
Meaning : (To be) very savage and cruel.
Example: Bọn cướp thật ác như hùm (The robbers are as cruel as ti
Ai cắt rốn cho cậu [ nó ...] thế ?
(Who cut your [his ...] umbilical cord ? )
Meaning : Why are you [is he...] so stingy ?
Example : Cậu cho tớ mỗi miếng thôi à ?Ai cắt rốn cho cậu thế ?(Do you give me only one morsel ?Who cut your umbilical cord (= Why are you so stingy)?)
Ai khảo mà xưng
(Who interrogated you so that you had to speak out the secret ?)
Meaning : It is foolish of somebody to reveal his secret.
Example : Tại sao anh lại kể chuyện đó với họ ? Ai khảo mà xưng, hả ? (Why did you tell them the story ? Who interrogated you so that you had to speak out the secret ? (= It was foolish of you to reveal your secret)).
An bần, lạc đạo
(To be satisfied with one's poor life and happy with one's principles)
Meaning : Not to complain about one's poverty, and do one's duty with a willing heart.
Example : Ngài từ quan về quê dạy học an bần lạc đạo cho đến cuối đời (He retreated from work to his home village to work as a teacher who was satisfied with his poor life and happy with his principles (= didn't complain about his poverty, and did his duty with a willing heart) to the end of his life)
An cư, lạc nghiệp
(To live peacefully and have prosperous business)
Meaning : To have a peaceful
and prosperous life.
Example : Chúng tôi chỉ mong được an cư lạc nghiệp trên quê hương mình (We only hope to live peacefully and to have prosperous business (= to have a peaceful and prosperous life) on our homeland)
An phận thủ thường
(To be satisfied with one's lot and keep one's life unchanged)
Meaning : To be satisfied with one's ordinary present life and need no changes.
Example : Ông ta sống an phận thủ thường tại một vùng quê hẻo lánh (He is satisfied with his lot and keeps his life unchanged (= is satisfied with his ordinary present life and needs no changes) in a distant village).
Án binh bất động
(To order one's army not to
carry out any operations)
Meaning : Not to order one's army to fight / not to do anything.
Example : Chúng vẫn án binh bất động hơn một tuần nay rồi (They have still ordered their army not to carry out any operations (= haven't done anything)for over a week).
Anh hùng mạt lộ
(A hero at the dead end)
Meaning : A man who has a talent or great will but he has no conditions to apply it to life and has to live an indignant and tragic life.
Example : Họ chỉ là một bọn anh hùng mạt lộ, chẳng làm được trò trống gì cả (They are just heroes at the dead end (= men who have talents but they have no conditions to apply them to life and have to live an indignant and tragic life) and can't do anything great at all).
Anh hùng nhất khoảnh
(A hero in a small area)
Meaning : A person who has influence in a certain area (or domain) only.
Example : Cái thứ anh hùng nhất khoảnh như mày rồi cũng có ngày bị chúng tao cho ăn no đòn thôi (A hero in a small area (= A person who has influence in a certain area only) like you will be badly beaten by us one day)
Anh hùng rơm
(A straw hero)
Meaning : A coward in a hero's appearance
Example : Đừng sợ hắn. Hắn chỉ là một kẻ anh hùng rơm mà thôi (Don't be afraid of him. He is just a straw hero (= a coward in a hero's appearance).
Anh hùng tương ngộ
(Heroes meeting one another)
Meaning : Talented people meeting one another
Example : Cảnh anh hùng tương ngộ đó đã làm nức lòng nghĩa quân (The scene of heroes meeting one another (= talented people meeting one another)encouraged the volunteers very much)
Ao liền, ruộng cả
(To have a pond after another and vast ricefields)
Meaning : To be very rich (such as a landlord in the countryside)
Example : Nhà ông ta thì ao liền ruộng cả chứ không nghèo như bọn ta đâu (He is not as poor as us but he has a pond after another and vast rice fields (= is very rich))
Ao trời, nước vũng
(As a pond compared with a pool)
Meaning : Quite different
Example : Họ một giàu một nghèo, khác nhau như ao trời nước vũng, làm sao mà thân nhau cho được. (One of them is rich and the other is poor, different as a pond compared with a pool (= quite different). How can they become close friends, eh ?)
Ao tù, nước đọng
(A situation of stagnant ponds and still water)
Meaning : A backward and slack life without a way out.
Example : Các hộ dân ở đây đã phải sống trong cảnh ao tù nước đọng từ nhiều năm nay.(The families here have been living in a situation of stagnant ponds and still water (= a backward and slack life without a way out) for many years)
Áo ấm, cơm no
(A life of enough clothes and rice in plenty)
Meaning : A comfortable life
Example : Mọi người đều mong muốn có đủ công ăn việc làm, áo ấm cơm no (Everybody wishes to have enough jobs to do and a life of enough clothes and rice in plenty (= a comfortable life))
Áo cộc, quần manh
(To have short shirts and thin trousers / of short-shirts and thin- trousers )
Meaning : (To be) poor and low-positioned
Example : Chúng tôi chỉ là phường áo cộc quần manh, biết đâu đến chuyện văn chương chữ nghĩa.(We are just of short-shirts and thin-trousers (= poor and low-positioned) people, knowing nothing about literature at all)
Áo đơn lồng áo kép
('To wear both a shirt and a warm coat together)
Meaning : To be well off
Example : Dạo này anh ta cũng áo đơn lồng áo kép rồi (Nowadays he also wears
both a shirt and a warm coat together (= is also well off)
Áo gấm đi đêm
(To go out in darkness in a brocade robe)
Meaning : To show one's richness but not in time so nobody knows
Example : Cô thật là dại dột, cứ áo gấm đi đêm mãi thôi (It’s stupid of you to have been going out in darkness in a brocade robe (= to have been showing your richness but not in time so nobody knows)
Áo gấm về làng
(To return to one's home village in a brocade robe)
Meaning : To return to one's home village in richness (or nobleness)
Example : Anh ta nhất định sẽ có ngày áo gấm về làng để làm vẻ vang gia đình (He will certainly return to his home village in a brocade robe (= return to his home village in richness) to honour his family one day)
Áo mặc qua đầu
(To wear a shirt over the head)
Meaning : To do things on one's own will without asking for one's superior's / parents' permision or advice
Example: Mày còn bé mà đã áo mặc qua đầu rồi sao, hả con ? (Why have you already worn a shirt over the head (= have you already done things on your own will without asking for your parents' permision or advice) when you are still a little boy, son?)
Áo rách khố ôm
(Of a torn shirt and a mended
loin cloth)
Meaning : Poor, mean and despised
Example : Cái đồ áo rách khố
ôm như mày thì ai dám lấy, hả? ( Who dare marry a guy of a torn shirt and a mended loin cloth (= a poor, mean and despised guy) like you, eh ?)
Áo rách quần manh
(To have torn shirts and thin trousers / of torn shirts and thin trousers)
Meaning : As " áo cộc quần manh"
Example : Chúng ta đều áo rách quần manh, không thương nhau thì còn thương ai, hả em ?(We are both of torn-shirts and thin-trousers (= poor and low-positioned) people, who can we love if we don't love each other, dear ?)
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