12 Examples of Life Advice Sayings + Free Lessons!
In this first article in our series on Common English Sayings, we focus on the theme of ‘Life Advice.’ Sometimes it comes as a warning, sometimes as a gentle reminder—but one thing is certain: these sayings are always spot on!
Each saying comes with a definition, an example sentence in English, and a Vietnamese translation to ensure a complete understanding. To make your learning more practical, we’ve also included 2 short lessons and a story! By the end of this lesson, you’ll be equipped to use these sayings more effectively in your English conversations and writing!
Tiếng Việt
12 Ví Dụ Về Lời Khuyên Cuộc Sống Và Bài Học Miễn Phí!
Trong bài đầu tiên trong loạt bài Những câu nói tiếng Anh thông dụng này, chúng tôi tập trung vào ‘Lời khuyên cuộc sống’. Đôi khi là lời cảnh báo trước, đôi khi là cái tát vào tay, nhưng chúng luôn có giá trị!
Mỗi câu nói đều có định nghĩa, một câu ví dụ bằng tiếng Anh và bản dịch tiếng Việt để đảm bảo bạn hiểu toàn diện. Chúng tôi cũng đã đưa vào 2 bài học và một câu chuyện! Đến cuối bài học này, bạn sẽ được trang bị để nói những điều này hiệu quả hơn trong các cuộc trò chuyện và bài viết tiếng Anh của mình
English Sayings + Example Sentences
01 – A stitch in time saves nine
Meaning: Fixing a small problem early prevents it from becoming a big one.
– Example: If you repair the leak now, it won’t flood the whole house later. As they say, a stitch in time saves nine. Ví dụ: Nếu bạn sửa chỗ rò rỉ ngay bây giờ, sau này nó sẽ không làm ngập cả ngôi nhà. Như người ta vẫn nói, khâu đúng lúc sẽ tiết kiệm được chín.
A stitch in time saves nine; You better repair the leak right away!
02 – Don’t bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: Don’t take on more responsibility than you can handle.
– Example:He bit off more than he could chew when he accepted three jobs at once, and now he’s overwhelmed. Ví dụ: Anh ấy đã quá sức khi nhận ba công việc cùng một lúc, và giờ anh ấy cảm thấy quá tải.
03 – Actions speak louder than words
Meaning: What people do is more important than what they say.
– Example: She promised to help, but never showed up—actions speak louder than words. Ví dụ: Cô ấy hứa sẽ giúp đỡ nhưng không bao giờ xuất hiện – hành động có giá trị hơn lời nói.
04 – You can’t judge a book by its cover
Meaning: Don’t judge someone or something by appearance alone.
– Example:You can’t judge a book by its cover, for example, this restaurant looks simple, but the food is amazing. Ví dụ: Bạn không thể đánh giá một cuốn sách qua trang bìa, ví dụ, nhà hàng này trông đơn giản, nhưng đồ ăn thì tuyệt vời.
05 – Better late than never
Meaning: It’s better to do something late than not at all.
– Example: He thought to himself “Better late than never“, when she finally apologized after two years. Ví dụ: Anh ấy tự nghĩ “Thà muộn còn hơn không” khi cuối cùng cô ấy cũng xin lỗi sau hai năm.
06 – Practice makes perfect
Meaning: Repeating something improves your skill.
– Example: She plays guitar every day and is becoming really good. Practice makes perfect, you know. Ví dụ: Cô ấy chơi guitar mỗi ngày và đang trở nên rất giỏi. Luyện tập tạo nên sự hoàn hảo, bạn biết đấy.
Practice Makes Perfect
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
07 – Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: Don’t risk everything on a single opportunity.
– Example:Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, I warned him, when he wanted to invest all his savings in only one stock. Ví dụ: Tôi đã cảnh báo anh ấy rằng đừng bỏ tất cả trứng vào một giỏ khi anh ấy chỉ muốn đầu tư toàn bộ tiền tiết kiệm của mình vào một cổ phiếu.
08 – Where there’s a will, there’s a way
Meaning: If you are determined, you can overcome obstacles.
– Example: He proved us that where there’s a will, there’s a way by learning to walk again after that serious accident. Ví dụ: Anh ấy đã chứng minh cho chúng ta thấy rằng có chí thì nên bằng cách học cách bước đi trở lại sau một tai nạn nghiêm trọng.
09 – Look before you leap
Meaning: Think carefully before taking action.
– Example: She should have looked before she leaped, now she quit her job without another offer. Ví dụ: Cô ấy nên tìm hiểu trước khi quyết định, nhưng giờ cô ấy lại nghỉ việc mà không nhận được lời mời làm việc nào khác.
10 – Rome wasn’t built in a day
Meaning: Big achievements take time.
– Example: Don’t expect to speak English fluently in a week—Rome wasn’t built in a day either. Ví dụ: Đừng mong nói tiếng Anh lưu loát trong một tuần—thành Rome cũng không được xây dựng trong một ngày.
+2 BONUS SAYINGS, SPEAK OUT!
11 – Easy come, easy go
Meaning: Things that are gained easily are often lost just as quickly.
– Example: As they say, easy come, easy go. He won a lot of money in the lottery, but lost it all the next day. Ví dụ: Như người ta vẫn nói, dễ đến thì dễ đi. Anh ta trúng số rất nhiều tiền, nhưng lại mất hết vào ngày hôm sau.
12 – Honesty is the best policy
Meaning: Being truthful is the best approach in the long run.
– Example: She admitted her mistake to the teacher, thinking honesty is the best policy. Ví dụ: Cô ấy thừa nhận lỗi lầm của mình với giáo viên, nghĩ rằng trung thực là chính sách tốt nhất.
What saying means: Fix small problems early before they get worse.
a) Rome wasn’t built in a day b) A stitch in time saves nine c) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
What saying means: Don’t judge by appearance only.
a) Practice makes perfect b) Look before you leap c) You can’t judge a book by its cover
What saying means: Be honest—it’s the smartest choice.
a) Honesty is the best policy b) Actions speak louder than words c) Easy come, easy go
What saying means: Spending or winning something easily means you’ll likely lose it fast.
a) Better late than never b) Easy come, easy go c) Where there’s a will, there’s a way
What saying means: Don’t take unnecessary risks.
a) Look before you leap b) Don’t bite off more than you can chew c) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
What saying means: Big success takes time.
a) Where there’s a will, there’s a way b) Practice makes perfect c) Rome wasn’t built in a day
Answers for Quick Quiz: Life Advice Sayings
Check your answers:
b) A stitch in time saves nine
c) You can’t judge a book by its cover
a) Honesty is the best policy
b) Easy come, easy go
a) Look before you leap
c) Rome wasn’t built in a day
How did you score?
Story Time!
Maria’s Dream Comes True!
Maria had a dream of opening her own bakery in her hometown Celebretia. Her friends warned her that it wouldn’t be easy, but she believed where there’s a will, there’s a way.
She started small in her kitchen. Every day, she baked and tested new recipes—practice makes perfect, she told herself. She worked away her days, weeks and months, slowly gaining new customers, now and then.
Then one day, a wealthy investor offered her a huge loan. It sounded tempting, but she remembered her grandmother’s advice: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, child!“, she had warned her more than once. So, instead, Maria chose to grow slowly.
There were setbacks. The oven broke once, because her help hadn’t properly cleaned it, and she burned some orders that . Still, she kept going—Rome wasn’t built in a day either!
Now, two years later, her bakery is a local favorite to the whole town of Celebretia. She often says with a smile, ‘a stitch in time saves nine‘, especially when cleaning the oven before it’s too late!
Review Exercise: Fill in the Blanks
Choose the correct saying from the list below to complete each sentence:
A. A stitch in time saves nine B. Rome wasn’t built in a day C. Easy come easy go
D. Practice makes perfect E. Honesty is the best policy F Don’t bite off more than you can chew
1. She spent the bonus money in just two days. Oh well, _______________. 2. Fix that door today before it falls off completely. _______________! 3. His English sounds much better now—he practices every evening. You know, _______________. 4. I know you want to do all the tasks yourself, but _______________—ask for help if you need it. 5. Be patient with your new business—___. 6. She apologized right away instead of hiding it, because _______________.
Answers for Review Exercise: Fill in the Blanks
1. C – She spent the bonus money in just two days. Oh well, easy come, easy go.
2. A – Fix that door today before it falls off completely. A stitch in time saves nine!
3. D – His English sounds much better now—he practices every evening. You know, practice makes perfect.
4. F – I know you want to do all the tasks yourself, but don’t bite off more than you can chew—ask for help if you need it.
5. B – Be patient with your new business—Rome wasn’t built in a day.
6. E – She apologized right away instead of hiding it, because honesty is the best policy.
Great job!
You’ve now learned about commonly used English sayings related to ‘Life Advice’. With these new sayings, you’ll be able to express your ideas more clearly in your future work.
Keep practicing, and soon you’ll feel even more confident using these English sayings in a variety of situations!
Bây giờ bạn đã học được những câu nói tiếng Anh thông dụng liên quan đến ‘Lời khuyên cuộc sống’. Với những câu nói mới này, bạn sẽ có thể diễn đạt ý tưởng của mình rõ ràng hơn trong công việc tương lai.
Hãy tiếp tục luyện tập và bạn sẽ sớm cảm thấy tự tin hơn khi sử dụng những câu nói tiếng Anh này trong nhiều tình huống khác nhau!