Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

hữu thế bất khả ỷ tận

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

Meaning · English

Never lean your whole weight on power — nor spend your whole stock of luck; keep reserves of both.

Literally: having position, don't rely on it utterly

Examples

Đang thời đừng làm quá, hữu thế bất khả ỷ tận.Even in your prime, don't spend it all — never lean full weight on power.

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 “hữu thế bất khả ỷ tận” mean?

Never lean your whole weight on power — nor spend your whole stock of luck; keep reserves of both. Literally: having position, don't rely on it utterly

Is “hữu thế bất khả ỷ tận” formal or informal?

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