cố ư trung tất hình ư ngoại
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: hữu ư trung tất hình ư ngoại
Meaning · English
What is stored within must show without — the inside writes itself on the face.
Literally: held in the middle, shaped on the outside
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 “cố ư trung tất hình ư ngoại” mean?
What is stored within must show without — the inside writes itself on the face. Literally: held in the middle, shaped on the outside
Is “cố ư trung tất hình ư ngoại” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.