mật ngọt chết ruồi
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
mật ngọt chết ruồi means sweet words are poison; a honey tongue; a heart of gall.
Meanings of mật ngọt chết ruồi in English
Phrase
- idiomatic sweet words are poison; a honey tongue, a heart of gall
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, mật ngọt chết ruồi could be written as 蜜𠮾折𧋆, 蜜𤮿𣩂𧋆. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Compound of mật (“nectar”) + ngọt (“sweet”) + chết (“to kill”) + ruồi (“fly”, insect) — sweet nectar kills flies.
Frequently asked questions
What does mật ngọt chết ruồi mean in English?
mật ngọt chết ruồi (phrase) means "sweet words are poison; a honey tongue; a heart of gall".
How do you pronounce mật ngọt chết ruồi?
IPA: Hanoi [mət̚˧˨ʔ ŋɔt̚˧˨ʔ t͡ɕet̚˧˦ zuəj˨˩]; Saigon [mək̚˨˩˨ ŋɔk̚˨˩˨ cəːt̚˦˥ ɹuj˨˩]. Tones: mật — heavy tone (nặng), ngọt — heavy tone (nặng), chết — rising tone (sắc), ruồi — falling tone (huyền).