{"id":3150,"date":"2020-07-27T12:06:04","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T04:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=3150"},"modified":"2022-10-05T22:01:45","modified_gmt":"2022-10-05T14:01:45","slug":"vietnamese-idioms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/vietnamese-idioms\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Vietnamese Idioms & Words You\u2019ve Been Saying Wrongly Your Whole Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vietnamese idioms and words that are often said wrongly<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Vietnamese is a hard language to learn. Heck, we even have Vietnamese idioms to describe how hard our language is. You know what they say, \u201cphong ba b\u00e3o t\u00e1p kh\u00f4ng b\u1eb1ng ng\u1eef ph\u00e1p Vi\u1ec7t Nam\u201d \u2013 \u201ceven a storm is no match for Vietnamese grammar.\u201d Just look at how foreigners struggle to remember all the different pronouns such as \u201canh\u201d, \u201cch\u1ecb\u201d, \u201cem\u201d, \u201cc\u00f4\u201d, and \u201cch\u00fa\u201d and you\u2019ll see the truth of that saying.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sure, we can\u2019t help but laugh when they make a mistake and say something hilarious, but honestly, who can blame them? Even we ourselves haven\u2019t mastered our own mother tongue. Case in point, here are <\/span>9 common Vietnamese idioms and words that you may have been saying wrongly for your entire life<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re reading this and not at idiom-level fluency yet, also check out our guide to 23 basic Vietnamese phrases<\/a> that’ll come in handy in any situation.<\/p>\n\n

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1. \u201c\u01af\u1edbt nh\u01b0 chu\u1ed9t l\u1ed9t\u201d (Wet as a shredding rat) should be \u201c\u01af\u1edbt nh\u01b0 chu\u1ed9t l\u1ed9i\u201d (Wet as a paddling rat)<\/h3>\n
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\"vietnamese<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Pixar<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

We often use the idiom <\/span>\u201c\u01b0\u1edbt nh\u01b0 chu\u1ed9t l\u1ed9t\u201d<\/b> (\u201cwet as a shredding rat\u201d) to refer to the condition of being soaking wet in a thunderstorm, but have you ever stopped to wonder what the hell a \u201cchu\u1ed9t l\u1ed9t\u201d is? \u201cL\u1ed9t\u201d translates to \u201cshred\u201d, or \u201cpeel a layer off forcefully\u201d, but that can\u2019t be applied here as rats don\u2019t shred.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s because the correct word should be \u201cl\u1ed9i\u201d (paddle), not \u201cl\u1ed9t\u201d. \u201cWet as a paddling rat\u201d makes much more sense if you imagine how a rat might swim.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another variation of the idiom is <\/span>\u201c\u01b0\u1edbt nh\u01b0 chu\u1ed9t l\u1ee5t\u201d<\/b>, or \u201cwet as rats during a flood\u201d – where \u201cl\u1ee5t\u201d translates to \u201cflood\u201d, something that happened frequently in the Vietnamese countryside in the past. When a flood hit, rats living in the rice fields would have to come out of their lairs soaking wet and make a run for it, hence the comparison.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. \u201cRa ng\u00f4 ra khoai\u201d (differentiate the corn from the sweet potato) should be \u201cra m\u00f4n ra khoai\u201d (differentiate the taro from the sweet potato)<\/h3>\n
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\"vietnamese
\n<\/span><\/i>Corn and sweet potatoes on the grill – yum.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit:<\/span> @tung23096<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Literally translated as \u201cto differentiate the corn from the sweet potato\u201d, the phrase <\/span>\u201cra ng\u00f4 ra khoai\u201d<\/b> means \u201cto discuss a confusing or complicated matter and make it crystal clear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We Vietnamese often use the idiom instinctively without giving it too much thought. However, if we thought about it on a literal level, we\u2019d probably think, \u201cwhy would you even need to differentiate corn and sweet potatoes? Aren\u2019t they already two completely different things?\u201d And indeed, they are.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The correct use of the idiom is <\/span>\u201cra m\u00f4n ra khoai\u201d<\/b>, or \u201cto differentiate the taro from the sweet potato\u201d. Now those are two food items that people can easily mix up.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. It\u2019s not \u201cCh\u00e2n nam \u0111\u00e1 ch\u00e2n xi\u00eau\u201d – It\u2019s \u201cCh\u00e2n \u0111\u0103m \u0111\u00e1 ch\u00e2n chi\u00eau\u201d (Right leg kicking left leg)<\/h3>\n
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\"vietnamese
\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Alexas_Fotos<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Whenever someone says <\/span>\u201cch\u00e2n nam \u0111\u00e1 ch\u00e2n xi\u00eau\u201d<\/b>, the first image that appears in our heads is a guy so drunk to the point where he\u2019s kicking his own legs and can\u2019t even walk straight \u2013 and that\u2019s exactly what the idiom refers to.<\/span><\/p>\n

The thing is, if you break it down, the phrase doesn\u2019t make sense. What do \u201cch\u00e2n nam\u201d and \u201cch\u00e2n xi\u00eau\u201d even mean? The correct words in this case are \u201cch\u00e2n \u0111\u0103m\u201d and \u201cch\u00e2n chi\u00eau\u201d. In old Vietnamese, \u201c\u0111\u0103m\u201d means \u201cright\u201d, and \u201cchi\u00eau\u201d means \u201cleft\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight leg kicking left leg\u201d \u2013 there we go, looks much better. (We\u2019d recommend that our guy in the idiom avoid drink driving with our tips in this <\/span>listicle<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Bonus: Now you\u2019ve also learnt that the word <\/span>\u201c\u0111\u0103m chi\u00eau<\/b>\u201d, often used to describe when someone is so deep in thought, actually translates to \u201cleft and right\u201d. The more you know . . .<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. \u201cV\u00f4 h\u00ecnh trung\u201d (happening within the invisible), not \u201cV\u00f4 h\u00ecnh chung\u201d<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>The Chinese character for \u201ctrung\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image adapted from <\/span>fjybsf.com<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another idiom that\u2019s commonly misspelled and mispronounced, but if we break it down into its component words, it will totally make sense. <\/span>\u201cV\u00f4 h\u00ecnh\u201d<\/b> means \u201cinvisible\u201d, and \u201c<\/span>trung<\/b>\u201d \u2013 yes, you read it right, \u201ctrung\u201d, not \u201cchung\u201d \u2013 comes from the Chinese word <\/span>\u4e2d, <\/span>which means \u201cmiddle\u201d or \u201cinside\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So when something happens <\/span>\u201cv\u00f4 h\u00ecnh trung\u201d<\/b>, it happens \u201cwithin the invisible\u201d, or in other words, it happens without us realizing it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cV\u00f4 h\u00ecnh chung\u201d doesn\u2019t mean anything, but too many people are used to saying it anyway, as people often soften the \u201ctr\u201d sound into \u201cch\u201d while speaking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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5. \u201cV\u1ee5ng ch\u00e8o kh\u00e9o ch\u1ed1ng\u201d (bad at rowing the boat but good at pushing it) – or \u201cV\u1ee5ng Ch\u00e8o kh\u00e9o tr\u1ed1ng\u201d (bad at singing Ch\u00e8o, but good at playing the drum)?<\/h3>\n
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\"vietnamese
\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> @harrydinhquan<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all heard stories of people who don\u2019t pull their weight in group projects, or do busy work to make their bosses think they are productive in the office to the annoyance of others – which is what both these sayings refer to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The word <\/span>\u201cch\u00e8o\u201d<\/b> describes the act of rowing a boat, while <\/span>\u201cch\u1ed1ng\u201d<\/b> means pushing a pole through the water into the dirt beneath to push the boat forward \u2013 which is only possible when it\u2019s in shallow water. Naturally, \u201cch\u00e8o\u201d (rowing) is harder than \u201cch\u1ed1ng\u201d (pushing a pole into dirt under water), so when someone is \u201cbad at rowing the boat but good at pushing it\u201d, it means they are bad at their assigned task, but are good at making excuses or doing something else to distract people.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"vietnamese
\n<\/span><\/i>Performers singing Ch\u00e8o
\nImage credit:<\/span> @s.hide_chan<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Yes, that sounds logical and all, but there are arguments that the original phrase is actually <\/span>\u201cv\u1ee5ng Ch\u00e8o kh\u00e9o tr\u1ed1ng\u201d<\/b>, where \u201cCh\u00e8o\u201d is a proper noun referring to a form of traditional Vietnamese singing, and \u201ctr\u1ed1ng\u201d means \u201cdrum\u201d. So, here the phrase means \u201cto be bad at singing Ch\u00e8o, but good at playing the drum\u201d. The same logic applies \u2013 someone is bad at what they\u2019re supposed to do, but good at distracting people from the fact. Again, people saying the sound \u201ctr\u201d as \u201cch\u201d could be the cause of the two variations.<\/span><\/p>\n

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6. \u201cY\u1ebfu \u0111i\u1ec3m\u201d is not the same as \u201c\u0111i\u1ec3m y\u1ebfu\u201d and means \u201ccrucial point\u201d, not \u201cweak point\u201d<\/h3>\n
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\"vietnamese
\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Pikist.com<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

On the surface, it\u2019s hard to tell the difference between <\/span>\u201c\u0111i\u1ec3m y\u1ebfu\u201d<\/b> and <\/span>\u201cy\u1ebfu \u0111i\u1ec3m\u201d<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

They are made from the same two characters, just in opposite order. \u201c\u0110i\u1ec3m\u201d means \u201cpoint\u201d, and \u201cy\u1ebfu\u201d means \u201cweak\u201d. This makes the two phrases sound like \u201cweak point\u201d and \u201cpoint of weakness\u201d, which make them seem like the same word.<\/span><\/p>\n

Except they aren\u2019t. The term \u201c<\/span>y\u1ebfu \u0111i\u1ec3m<\/b>\u201d actually originates from Chinese \u2013 you can tell by the fact that it puts the adjective before the noun. And here, the word \u201cy\u1ebfu\u201d doesn\u2019t mean \u201cweak\u201d as it does in Vietnamese. Instead, it\u2019s<\/span> \u8981<\/span>, which means \u201ccrucial\u201d. So, the word \u201cy\u1ebfu \u0111i\u1ec3m\u201d doesn\u2019t mean \u201cweak point\u201d, but actually <\/span>\u201ccrucial point\u201d<\/b>. “\u0110i\u1ec3m y\u1ebfu”\u00a0<\/strong>is the term that means “weak point”.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, I know I\u2019m being too nitpicky here. In a common everyday situation, people will understand what you mean even if you use the term \u201cy\u1ebfu \u0111i\u1ec3m\u201d to mean \u201cweak point\u201d, but now that you know the difference between the two terms, you can correct your friends and get on their nerves the next time they use them wrongly.<\/span><\/p>\n

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7. \u201c\u0110\u1ec1u nh\u01b0 v\u1eaft chanh\u201d (consistent as squeezing a lime) is wrong – it actually should be \u201c\u0111\u1ec1u nh\u01b0 v\u1eaft tranh\u201d (consistent as bunches of tranh<\/em> grass)<\/h3>\n
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\"vietnamese
\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Pikrepo.com<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201c\u0110\u1ec1u\u201d is a condition where something is neatly arranged or consistent, and \u201cv\u1eaft chanh\u201d means to squeeze a lime to get its juice. So, <\/span>\u201c\u0111\u1ec1u nh\u01b0 v\u1eaft chanh\u201d<\/b> translates to \u201cconsistent as squeezing a lime\u201d. Seems pretty straightforward, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

But if you think about it, the act of squeezing a lime has nothing to do with consistency or something being neatly arranged, so why did our forefathers put those two in a comparison?<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, they didn\u2019t, it\u2019s just a misspelling from our end. The correct phrase is <\/span>\u201c\u0111\u1ec1u nh\u01b0 v\u1eaft tranh\u201d<\/b>. I know, I was surprised too. What does \u201cv\u1eaft tranh\u201d even mean?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"vietnamese
\n<\/span><\/i>Image adapted from<\/span> Nguyendangduy<\/span><\/a> and<\/span> Pikist.com<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The reason dates all the way back to ancient times where Vietnamese people in the countryside would use a type of grass called \u201cc\u1ecf tranh\u201d, which can be easily found in the fields, to thatch their roofs. To do so, they had to tie the \u201ctranh\u201d grass into bunches \u2013 which they called \u201cv\u1eaft tranh\u201d \u2013 then pack them tightly on the roof. The arrangement of these \u201cv\u1eaft tranh\u201d had to be neat and consistent, otherwise water would get through when it rained, and that\u2019s where the idiom came from.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, given that \u201cv\u1eaft chanh\u201d is something we see much more frequently in our modern lives than \u201cv\u1eaft tranh\u201d, it is understandable that people would make the mistake.<\/span><\/p>\n

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8. \u201cKho\u00e1i tr\u00e1\u201d should be spelled \u201cKho\u00e1i ch\u00e1\u201d, and originally it didn’t mean \u201cdelighted\u201d<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Tomberry<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

A lot of people think the word <\/span>\u201ckho\u00e1i tr\u00e1\u201d<\/b> is a combination of “kho\u00e1i” from “s\u1ea3ng kho\u00e1i”, meaning \u201csatisfying\u201d, and “tr\u00e1” from “x\u1ea3o tr\u00e1”, meaning \u201ccunning\u201d. As a result, they use the word to describe the sense of twisted satisfaction we get from seeing something bad happen to people we don\u2019t like, also known as <\/span>schadenfreude<\/span><\/i> in German.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes, it\u2019s also used to simply mean \u201cdelight\u201d or \u201csatisfaction\u201d. However, its origin is quite different.<\/span><\/p>\n

The word \u201ckho\u00e1i tr\u00e1\u201d also stems from Chinese language and is actually supposed to be \u201ckho\u00e1i ch\u00e1\u201d. \u201cKho\u00e1i\u201d (<\/span>\u81be<\/span>) is a thin slice of meat, and \u201cch\u00e1\u201d (<\/span>\u7099<\/span>) is \u201cto roast\u201d or \u201cto grill\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"vietnamese
\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> webandi<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cKho\u00e1i ch\u00e1\u201d simply means \u201cgrilled meat\u201d, and is part of the Chinese idiom <\/span>\u81be\u7099\u4eba\u53e3 <\/strong>(Vietnamese: Kho\u00e1i ch\u00e1 nh\u00e2n kh\u1ea9u)<\/strong>, used to describe tasty foods that everyone likes, you know, like grilled meat.<\/span><\/p>\n

It could be that in the beginning, people used \u201ckho\u00e1i ch\u00e1\u201d to describe the joy of eating tasty food. However, a lot of people mix up the word <\/span>\u81be <\/span>with <\/span>\u5feb<\/span> (happy), as they are both spelled as \u201ckho\u00e1i\u201d in Vietnamese. Eventually, \u201ckho\u00e1i ch\u00e1\u201d got misspelled into \u201ckho\u00e1i tr\u00e1\u201d as we often see it today, and it strays from its original meaning.<\/span><\/p>\n

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9. \u201cTai v\u00e1ch m\u1ea1ch r\u1eebng\u201d (the wall has ears, the forest has veins) is just a misspelling of \u201cTai v\u00e1ch m\u1ea1ch d\u1eebng\u201d (the wall has ears, the d\u1eebng has veins)<\/i><\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Wikimedia Commons<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cTai v\u00e1ch m\u1ea1ch r\u1eebng\u201d<\/b> translates to \u201cthe wall has ears, the forest has veins\u201d, and it refers to a situation where a location is not secure and where you should not discuss private matters. However, it is yet another of those Vietnamese idioms misunderstood and misused by people of the modern age because we are not familiar with the old ways of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Vietnamese
\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Wikipedia<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In the past, bricks were not readily available, so people of the common social classes often had to use clay to build their houses. To do so, they weaved small bamboo sticks called \u201cd\u1eebng\u201d into frames, then cover them in clay to make walls. However, the clay would crack after an extended period of time, resulting in veins on the walls.<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, the correct spelling would be <\/span>\u201ctai v\u00e1ch m\u1ea1ch d\u1eebng\u201d<\/b>, meaning \u201cthe wall has ears, the <\/span>d\u1eebng<\/span><\/i> has veins\u201d. Again, since most of us who live in modern buildings don\u2019t even know what a \u201cd\u1eebng\u201d looks like, it\u2019s understandable that many would hear the phrase and thought it said \u201cr\u1eebng\u201d (forest).<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>That\u2019s because <\/span>the consonant “d” is pronounced “z” in Vietnamese. Meanwhile, the sound “r” is also very often softened into “z” in spoken Vietnamese, and that’s where the confusion comes from.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Commonly misspelled Vietnamese idioms and words<\/h3>\n
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As idioms often stem from everyday life, learning about their origins helps give us a deeper insight into how our ancestors used to live. So, remember the proper use of these 9 commonly misspelled Vietnamese idioms and words<\/strong>, and the next time you spot your friends saying them wrongly, explain it to them. It\u2019ll be an eye-opening experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more stories, check out:<\/span><\/p>\n