Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

diện phục tâm bất phục

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In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

The face submits, the heart does not — obedience worn on the features and nowhere else.

Literally: face complies, heart does not

Examples

Nhân viên dạ dạ mà diện phục tâm bất phục.The staff say yes-yes — faces submitting, hearts not.

Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)

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 “diện phục tâm bất phục” mean?

The face submits, the heart does not — obedience worn on the features and nowhere else. Literally: face complies, heart does not

Is “diện phục tâm bất phục” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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