thành ngữ

Vietnamese

Examples
lên voi xuống chó (“[once got to] climb on elephants; [now have to] stoop to dogs' level; from riches to rags”) ăn cháo đá bát (“to have all the rice congee and then kick the bowl; to be despicably ungrateful”) trời đánh tránh bữa ăn (“even the lord never pours his wrath upon thee at mealtimes; don't make a fuss at mealtimes and make everyone lose appetite”)

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 成語 (“set phrase”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [tʰajŋ̟˨˩ ŋɨ˦ˀ˥]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [tʰɛɲ˦˩ ŋɨ˧˨]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [tʰan˨˩ ŋɨ˨˩˦]

Noun

(classifier câu) thành ngữ

1. an idiom (language)

See also

• tục ngữ