hoạn bất tài, hà hoạn vô dụng
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Fear lacking talent, never lacking employment — the able are never left on the shelf for long.
Literally: worry over talent, why worry over use
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 “hoạn bất tài, hà hoạn vô dụng” mean?
Fear lacking talent, never lacking employment — the able are never left on the shelf for long. Literally: worry over talent, why worry over use
Is “hoạn bất tài, hà hoạn vô dụng” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.