bề trên ở chẳng kỷ cang, cho nên bề dưới làm đàng mây mưa
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
When those above keep no order, those below make wind and rain — misrule breeds misconduct downward.
Literally: superiors without discipline, subordinates make storms
Sources & notes
Discovered via Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “bề trên ở chẳng kỷ cang, cho nên bề dưới làm đàng mây mưa” mean?
When those above keep no order, those below make wind and rain — misrule breeds misconduct downward. Literally: superiors without discipline, subordinates make storms
Is “bề trên ở chẳng kỷ cang, cho nên bề dưới làm đàng mây mưa” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.