tránh vỏ dưa gặp vỏ dừa
Vietnamese
Etymology
A play on the words dưa (“melon”) and dừa (“coconut”), which both refer to fruits and differ only in tone.
Pronunciation
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [t͡ɕajŋ̟˧˦ vɔ˧˩ zɨə˧˧ ɣap̚˧˨ʔ vɔ˧˩ zɨə˨˩]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [ʈɛɲ˦˧˥ vɔ˧˨ jɨə˧˧ ɣap̚˨˩ʔ vɔ˧˨ jɨə˦˩]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [ʈan˦˥ vɔ˨˩˦ jɨə˧˧ ɣap̚˨˩˨ vɔ˨˩˦ jɨə˨˩] ~ [ʈan˦˥ jɔ˨˩˦ jɨə˧˧ ɣap̚˨˩˨ jɔ˨˩˦ jɨə˨˩]
Phrase
tránh vỏ dưa gặp vỏ dừa
- (literally) away from the watermelon rind, into the coconut shell
- (figurative) out of the frying pan, into the fire