Significado
Your company affects your character.
Contexto cultural
The proverb is often linked to the story of Mencius' mother, showing the deep influence of Confucianism on Vietnamese family values. The 'ink' metaphor is common across China, Japan, and Korea, reflecting a shared history of using ink stones and calligraphy. In villages, the 'lamp' was a symbol of the only house in the neighborhood where people were studying, making it a literal beacon of hope. Today, 'gần đèn' might refer to working for a multinational corporation or a famous mentor.
Use it for praise too!
Don't just use it for warnings. If someone is doing well, tell them 'Gần đèn thì sáng mà' to compliment their choice of mentors.
Don't be too judgmental
Calling someone 'mực' (ink) can be very offensive. Use the phrase generally rather than pointing it at a specific person.
Significado
Your company affects your character.
Use it for praise too!
Don't just use it for warnings. If someone is doing well, tell them 'Gần đèn thì sáng mà' to compliment their choice of mentors.
Don't be too judgmental
Calling someone 'mực' (ink) can be very offensive. Use the phrase generally rather than pointing it at a specific person.
The Lotus Counter-point
If you want to argue that someone is strong enough to stay good in a bad place, use the 'Lotus' proverb (Gần bùn mà chẳng hôi tanh mùi bùn).
Teste-se
Fill in the missing words to complete the proverb.
Gần mực thì ______, gần đèn thì ______.
The standard form uses 'đen' (black) to match 'mực' (ink) and 'sáng' (bright) to match 'đèn' (lamp).
Which part of the proverb fits this situation? 'An is a lazy student, but after joining a group of hard-working friends, he starts studying every day.'
Which part applies?
Because An is being influenced by a positive ('bright') group.
Choose the most appropriate response to: 'Con tôi dạo này hay nói tục vì chơi với mấy đứa trẻ hư.'
What should you say?
The situation describes a negative influence, which corresponds to 'gần mực thì đen'.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 'Tại sao bạn lại chuyển nhà?' B: 'Tôi muốn con tôi sống ở khu này vì ____.'
People move to better areas to provide a positive influence for their children.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Recursos visuais
Banco de exercicios
4 exerciciosGần mực thì ______, gần đèn thì ______.
The standard form uses 'đen' (black) to match 'mực' (ink) and 'sáng' (bright) to match 'đèn' (lamp).
Which part applies?
Because An is being influenced by a positive ('bright') group.
What should you say?
The situation describes a negative influence, which corresponds to 'gần mực thì đen'.
A: 'Tại sao bạn lại chuyển nhà?' B: 'Tôi muốn con tôi sống ở khu này vì ____.'
People move to better areas to provide a positive influence for their children.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Perguntas frequentes
5 perguntasYes, but often in a slightly ironic or humorous way when talking about their friends' bad habits.
It's a bit too informal for a standard email, but fine for a speech or a motivational post.
It refers to the black ink used in traditional calligraphy.
Yes, people often just say 'Gần mực thì đen' to imply the whole meaning.
While 'đen' can mean bad luck in other contexts, here it specifically means moral corruption or bad influence.
Frases relacionadas
Ở bầu thì tròn, ở ống thì dài
similarYou adapt to the shape of your container.
Ngưu tầm ngưu, mã tầm mã
similarOxen seek oxen, horses seek horses.
Gần bùn mà chẳng hôi tanh mùi bùn
contrastNear mud but not smelling of mud.
Chọn bạn mà chơi
specialized formChoose friends to play with.
