Five Vietnamese sayings that cluck, squeak, and low

By Pham Van, Vuong Duc AnhApril 7, 2016 | 03:08 am PT
Five Vietnamese sayings that cluck, squeak, and low
As Vietnam chases a future full of cell phone factories and industrial parks, over half of its population continues to work in its fields and forests. Not surprisngly, most of the country's proverbs and idioms are inspired by the animals they encounter every day.

1. Playing music to buffalo ears (Đàn gảy tai trâu)

Photo: VnExpress

Photo: VnExpress

Considered the work horse of Vietnam, the term buffalo evokes someone bulky and slow. In everday language, “a buffalo” may refer to someone boorish and slow-witted. I don't get it.

2. Catching fish with both hands (Bắt cá hai tay)

Photo: Jurassic Mountain Resort & Fish Park

Photo: Jurassic Mountain Resort & Fish Park

The English equivalent of “two-timing” this phrase also suggests the subject's adventures won't end well--much like that morning I spent standing waist-deep in a river clawing at passing fish.

3. House catches fire, rats show their face (Cháy nhà ra mặt chuột)

Photo: Van Roeun

Photo: Van Roeun

The English equivalent of “rats fleeing a sinking ship,” the Vietnamese version suggests that the truth only comes out when something bad happens. Like that time I cleaned out my dead grandfather's closet and found a large dress hanging in the back.

4. Pen down chicken dies (Bút sa gà chết)

Photo: Tang a Pau

Photo: Tang a Pau

You can’t bring back a dead chicken any more than you can un-sign a document (hence, the pen). How many times have you finished inking a lease and then immediately been overtaken by a sense of dread? First, last and security deposit? My goose is cooked.

5. A worm upsets a soup pot (Con sâu làm rầu nồi canh)

Photo: Flickr

Photo: Flickr

Here we have a rotten apple spoiling the bunch—but grosser. A nice vegetable soup helps wash down a hearty meal and there's no bigger bummer than discovering a worm floating at the top. In practice, this idiom doesn’t have anything to do with soup, and is most frequently used in a situation where one guy screws up and the whole group pays. You know who I'm talking about...

 
 
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