Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

khôn văn tế, dại văn bia

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

Meaning · English

Clever in the eulogy, foolish on the stele — flatter the living aloud, but carve stone carefully.

Literally: wise at the funeral ode, foolish on the stone tablet

Sources & notes

Discovered via Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.

Common questions

What does “khôn văn tế, dại văn bia” mean?

Clever in the eulogy, foolish on the stele — flatter the living aloud, but carve stone carefully. Literally: wise at the funeral ode, foolish on the stone tablet

Is “khôn văn tế, dại văn bia” formal or informal?

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

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