Definition

1. Idiom (Thành ngữ):
   • A broken mirror made whole again: A metaphorical expression describing the restoration of a broken relationship, especially a marital one, to its former state of harmony and unity. It signifies reconciliation and the mending of what was thought to be irreparably damaged.
   • Reunited after a separation: Refers specifically to lovers or spouses who are reunited after a period of forced or difficult separation.

Usage Examples

• Idiom:
  • Sau nhiều năm ly thân, cuối cùng họ cũng gương vỡ lại lành. (After many years of separation, they finally became a broken mirror made whole again.)
  • Câu chuyện cổ tích ấy là minh chứng cho điều gương vỡ lại lành. (That fairy tale is proof of a broken mirror being made whole again.)

Advanced Usage

• The idiom originates from a famous Chinese legend about Xu Deyan and Princess Lechang, who broke a mirror in two when forced to separate, each keeping half as a token for future reunion. Their eventual meeting and the fitting together of the mirror halves became the symbol of this idiom.
• It is used almost exclusively in the context of romantic or marital reconciliation, carrying a strong connotation of destiny and enduring love.

Variants and Related Words

• Đoàn tụ (v): to reunite, to gather together again.
  • Gia đình họ đã đoàn tụ sau chiến tranh. (Their family reunited after the war.)
• Hòa giải (v): to reconcile, to make peace.
  • Hai anh em đã hòa giải với nhau. (The two brothers reconciled with each other.)

Synonyms

• Reconciliation: The restoration of friendly relations.
• Reunion: The act of coming together again after a separation.
• Mending fences: Repairing a damaged relationship.

Related Idioms

• Nước chảy đá mòn: Literally "water dripping wears away stone," meaning perseverance overcomes all obstacles. It can relate to the persistent hope leading to "gương vỡ lại lành."
• Có công mài sắt, có ngày nên kim: Literally "persistence in grinding iron will one day produce a needle," meaning patience and effort lead to success, similar to the effort needed for reconciliation.