You can explore the meaning of each folk verse through these simple steps:
1. Read the Introduction to better understand the context and the story that leads into the verse.
2. Click the blanks in the verse and choose the most fitting word to complete it.
3. Once you have filled them in correctly, the Commentary appears with a detailed explanation to help you understand the verse better.
Chúng ta thường quan niệm rằng trong tình yêu trai gái, sự chủ động bao giờ cũng thuộc về phái nam. Nhưng thực ra, người con gái bình dân, quanh năm cặm cụi dưới lũy tre xanh, đôi khi cũng tự mình phá bỏ mọi rào cản e ấp thường tình để mạnh dạn ướm lời. Họ không dùng đến sáo ngữ, mà chỉ mộc mạc buông một câu bỡn cợt giữa chốn đồng nội thênh thang.
To this day, many works still mix up proverbs and idioms. However, based on their content and structure, we can clearly tell these two concepts apart.
A sentence that by itself fully expresses an idea, an observation, an experience, a moral, a principle of justice or a criticism. A proverb has a complete meaning, distilling experience of daily life and work in order to guide people.
A ready-made part of a sentence, a familiar piece that many people habitually use, but which by itself does not express a complete idea. Idioms lean towards describing states and images to add colour to speech.
Fully expresses a fact: a dog that sees a person in rags will often bark at or bite them. Figuratively: those who are already poor and miserable meet even more misfortune and mishaps.
Fully expresses an idea about a remedy: a dangerous, strange illness needs an equally miraculous medicine to cure it.
Only two images expressing poverty in general; how poor, or in what way, is never completed into a whole idea.
A modifying phrase describing utter ignorance, knowing nothing at all; by itself it does not form a complete sentence.
Describes a comfortable, leisurely life of enjoyment, but by itself it is only a phrase, with no complete conclusion or observation.
Describes the position and arrogant manner of someone who likes to put themselves above everyone else and behave condescendingly, but by itself it does not express a complete idea.
Source: Vũ Ngọc Phan, Tục ngữ ca dao dân ca, 10th edition, Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 1996.
The line between folk verses (ca dao) and folk songs (dân ca) is very thin. Ca dao is folk poetry, whether or not it has been set to a tune, while dân ca is a song with a definite melody, leaning towards musicality in its form. Folk songs are sung in particular situations, occupations or localities.
When turning folk verses into folk songs, people creatively add filler syllables (padding fillers and meaning fillers), breath-carrying syllables, repeated syllables and refrains to fit the melody. The examples below show this transformation:
Làm trai quyết chí tu thân, Công danh chớ vội, nợ nần chớ lo. Khi nên, trời giúp công cho, Làm trai năm liệu bảy lo mới hào.
Quyết chí mà tu thân ơ,
Công danh là danh chớ vội chứ đã nợ nần...
mà không lo,
Trống cơm khéo vỗ nên vông, Một bầy con sếu lội sông đi tìm. Thương ai con mắt lim dim, Một bầy con nhện đi tìm giăng tơ. Thương ai duyên nợ tang bồng...
(Tình bằng) có cái trống cơm, khen ai khéo vỗ (ấy mấy) vông nên vông (ấy mấy) vông nên vông,
Một bầy (tang tình) con sếu lội lội lội sông (ấy mấy) đi tìm.
Em nhớ thương ai đôi con mắt (ấy mấy) lim dim...
Một bầy (tang tình) con nhện (ì ới a, ấy mấy) giăng tơ, giăng tơ (ấy mấy) đi tìm.
Em nhớ thương ai, duyên nợ khách tang bồng...
The most important characteristic that sets it apart from scholarly literature. Works are composed collectively by the people, then revised and enriched across many regions and generations until they are complete.
In the past, word of mouth was the only common channel. Today, although literacy is higher and written records exist, oral transmission still continues naturally alongside them, showing its enduring vitality.
Source: Vũ Ngọc Phan, Tục ngữ ca dao dân ca, 10th edition, Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 1996.