nắm thằng có tóc, không ai nắm kẻ trọc đầu

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [nam˧˦ tʰaŋ˨˩ kɔ˧˦ tawk͡p̚˧˦ xəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔaːj˧˧ nam˧˦ kɛ˧˩ t͡ɕawk͡p̚˧˨ʔ ʔɗəw˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [nam˦˧˥ tʰaŋ˦˩ kɔ˨˩˦ tawk͡p̚˦˧˥ kʰəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔaːj˧˧ nam˦˧˥ kɛ˧˨ ʈawk͡p̚˨˩ʔ ʔɗəw˦˩] ~ [nam˦˧˥ tʰaŋ˦˩ kɔ˨˩˦ tawk͡p̚˦˧˥ xəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔaːj˧˧ nam˦˧˥ kɛ˧˨ ʈawk͡p̚˨˩ʔ ʔɗəw˦˩]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [nam˦˥ tʰaŋ˨˩ kɔ˦˥ tawk͡p̚˦˥ kʰəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔaːj˧˧ nam˦˥ kɛ˨˩˦ ʈawk͡p̚˨˩˨ ʔɗəw˨˩] ~ [nam˦˥ tʰaŋ˨˩ kɔ˦˥ tawk͡p̚˦˥ xəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔaːj˧˧ nam˦˥ kɛ˨˩˦ ʈawk͡p̚˨˩˨ ʔɗəw˨˩]

Phrase

nắm thằng có tóc, không ai nắm kẻ trọc đầu

1. (literal) if you're gonna grab onto someone, grab onto one with hair, don't grab onto a bald one
2. (figurative) if you're gonna come after someone, come after a rich one, don't come after a poor one