độc thơ cầu lý
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Read for the principle, not the penmanship — books are mined for meaning, not admired for strokes.
Literally: read books seeking the reason
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 “độc thơ cầu lý” mean?
Read for the principle, not the penmanship — books are mined for meaning, not admired for strokes. Literally: read books seeking the reason
Is “độc thơ cầu lý” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.