giao nghĩa mạc giao tài

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

Meaning · English

Befriend for principle, never for purse — money is the one basis friendship can't survive.

Literally: bond in righteousness, not in wealth
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 “giao nghĩa mạc giao tài” mean?

Befriend for principle, never for purse — money is the one basis friendship can't survive. Literally: bond in righteousness, not in wealth

Is “giao nghĩa mạc giao tài” formal or informal?

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