Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

nhất sĩ nhì nông, hết gạo chạy dông, nhất nông nhì sĩ

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

Meaning · English

First the scholar, then the farmer — but when the rice runs out and you're running loose: first the farmer, then the scholar — rank revised by the granary.

Literally: first scholar, second farmer; rice gone: first farmer, second scholar

Examples

Nhất sĩ nhì nông, hết gạo chạy rông, nhất nông nhì sĩ.Scholar first, farmer second — till the rice runs out.

Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)

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 “nhất sĩ nhì nông, hết gạo chạy dông, nhất nông nhì sĩ” mean?

First the scholar, then the farmer — but when the rice runs out and you're running loose: first the farmer, then the scholar — rank revised by the granary. Literally: first scholar, second farmer; rice gone: first farmer, second scholar

Is “nhất sĩ nhì nông, hết gạo chạy dông, nhất nông nhì sĩ” formal or informal?

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