cơm vua nợ dân
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The king's rice is the people's debt — every stipend was first a tax.
Literally: king's rice: the people's loan
Sources & notes
Discovered via Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “cơm vua nợ dân” mean?
The king's rice is the people's debt — every stipend was first a tax. Literally: king's rice: the people's loan
Is “cơm vua nợ dân” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.