chim có tổ, người có tông
Vietnamese
Etymology
tổ has two meanings, native Vietnamese "nest" and Sino-Vietnamese "ancestor".
Pronunciation
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [t͡ɕim˧˧ kɔ˧˦ to˧˩ ŋɨəj˨˩ kɔ˧˦ təwŋ͡m˧˧]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [t͡ɕim˧˧ kɔ˨˩˦ tow˧˨ ŋɨj˦˩ kɔ˨˩˦ təwŋ͡m˧˧]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [cim˧˧ kɔ˦˥ tow˨˩˦ ŋɨj˨˩ kɔ˦˥ təwŋ͡m˧˧]
Proverb
chim có tổ, người có tông
- (literally) birds have nests, people have lineages
- (figuratively) one should never forget about one's ancestry