Vietnamese sayings (life, love and new year)
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Sign up for freeThis final chapter discusses common sayings about life, love and the new year in Vietnamese. The general Vietnamese person is spiritual and superstitious. We tried to gather Vietnamese sayings, their literal translation or their English equivalents. Furthermore, we provide you with an explanation of the meaning.
Lesson outline
HideSayings about life
Here is a selection of wisdom about life:
| Saying | Translation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bán an em xa mua láng giềng gần. | Trade distant relatives for close neighbour. | Those who live near you are most helpful, especially in emergencies, when blood-related people are far away and unable to deliver instant help. |
| Mèo khen mèo dài đuôi. | The cat praises cats’ tails to be long (beautiful). | Humans have the inclination to be conceited, seeing objects belonging to them are the best |
| Đừng chế nhạo người. | Laugh and the world will laugh with you. | |
| Gần mực thì đen, gần đèn thì rạng. | Tell me with whom though goest, and I will tell what though doest. | If you live in a bad environment, you will be so influenced; if you live in a good environment, you will be so influenced. |
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Sayings about love
Here are some psychological sayings about love.
| Saying | Translation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yêu ai yêu cả đường đi. | Someone they love and the road that bears that person’s footprints. | If you love someone, you also love that road. |
| Bao lâu vắng mặt khát khao, bao giờ gặp muốn cào mắt ra. | Away, one feels longing; now, face to face, one wants to scratch off the other’s face. | Someone who alternately idealises then devalues his/her loved one. |
Đen tình, đỏ bạc. | Lucky at cards, unlucky in love. | If you frequently win at card games, you will not have happy love affairs. |
New years sayings
There are two new years celebrations in Vietnam. The normal (solar) year is celebrated like in the rest of the world on the 31st of December. The Vietnamese place more value in Tết, the end of the lunar calendar.
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Chúc mừng năm mới. | Happy (Lunar) New Year. |
| Cung chúc tân xuân. | Gracious wishes of the new spring |
| Sống lâu trăm tuổi. | Long life of 100 years: used by children for elders |
| An khang thịnh vượn. | Security, good health, and prosperity. |
| Vạn sự như ý. | All wishes come true. |
Summary
We are finally at the end of our Vietnamese course for beginners. Hopefully, this course was helpful in providing you with insights into the Vietnamese culture. You will be able to have basic conversations in Vietnamese and know your way around effortlessly.