nhơn bất tri cổ kim, như mã ngưu nhi khâm cứ
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Ignorant of past and present, a horse or ox in a robe — without learning, clothing is all that separates.
Literally: person not knowing old and new: like horse or buffalo dressed
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 “nhơn bất tri cổ kim, như mã ngưu nhi khâm cứ” mean?
Ignorant of past and present, a horse or ox in a robe — without learning, clothing is all that separates. Literally: person not knowing old and new: like horse or buffalo dressed
Is “nhơn bất tri cổ kim, như mã ngưu nhi khâm cứ” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.