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

1. (literal) birds have nests, people have lineages
2. (figurative) one should never forget about one's ancestry