lão lai tài tận
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Age arrives, talent departs — the wit wears out on the same schedule as the knees.
Literally: old age comes, ability ends
Examples
Ông nhận sai liền, lão lai tài tận rồi.He owned the error at once — age come, edge gone.
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 “lão lai tài tận” mean?
Age arrives, talent departs — the wit wears out on the same schedule as the knees. Literally: old age comes, ability ends
Is “lão lai tài tận” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.