khinh sĩ mắc sĩ
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Slight a scholar and be schooled by one — the shabby stranger may out-think you yet.
Literally: scorn the learned, be caught by the learned
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 “khinh sĩ mắc sĩ” mean?
Slight a scholar and be schooled by one — the shabby stranger may out-think you yet. Literally: scorn the learned, be caught by the learned
Is “khinh sĩ mắc sĩ” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.