mạ nhơn như giáo nhơn
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Scolding a man is schooling him — your breath spent, his wisdom gained; the rebuked walks off with the profit.
Literally: reviling people is teaching people
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 “mạ nhơn như giáo nhơn” mean?
Scolding a man is schooling him — your breath spent, his wisdom gained; the rebuked walks off with the profit. Literally: reviling people is teaching people
Is “mạ nhơn như giáo nhơn” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.