biết thì thưa thốt, không biết thì dựa cột mà nghe

Vietnamese

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓiət̚˧˦ tʰi˨˩ tʰɨə˧˧ tʰot̚˧˦ xəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔɓiət̚˧˦ tʰi˨˩ zɨə˧˨ʔ kot̚˧˨ʔ maː˨˩ ŋɛ˧˧]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓiək̚˦˧˥ tʰɪj˦˩ tʰɨə˧˧ tʰok̚˦˧˥ kʰəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔɓiək̚˦˧˥ tʰɪj˦˩ jɨə˨˩ʔ kok̚˨˩ʔ maː˦˩ ŋɛ˧˧] ~ [ʔɓiək̚˦˧˥ tʰɪj˦˩ tʰɨə˧˧ tʰok̚˦˧˥ xəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔɓiək̚˦˧˥ tʰɪj˦˩ jɨə˨˩ʔ kok̚˨˩ʔ maː˦˩ ŋɛ˧˧]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔɓiək̚˦˥ tʰɪj˨˩ tʰɨə˧˧ tʰok̚˦˥ kʰəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔɓiək̚˦˥ tʰɪj˨˩ jɨə˨˩˨ kok̚˨˩˨ maː˨˩ ŋɛ˧˧] ~ [ʔɓiək̚˦˥ tʰɪj˨˩ tʰɨə˧˧ tʰok̚˦˥ xəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔɓiək̚˦˥ tʰɪj˨˩ jɨə˨˩˨ kok̚˨˩˨ maː˨˩ ŋɛ˧˧]
Phonetic spelling: biết thì thưa thốt không biết thì dựa cột mà nghe

(literal) if you know about something, do talk about it, if you don't, lean back on a pillar and listen
(figurative) only talk about something if you know about it well, otherwise just keep quiet and listen to what others have to say