phong, lao, cổ, lại, tứ chứng nan y
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Palsy, consumption, blindness, leprosy — the four ailments past medicine, heaven's own afflictions.
Literally: wind, wasting, drum-belly, leprosy: four incurables
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 “phong, lao, cổ, lại, tứ chứng nan y” mean?
Palsy, consumption, blindness, leprosy — the four ailments past medicine, heaven's own afflictions. Literally: wind, wasting, drum-belly, leprosy: four incurables
Is “phong, lao, cổ, lại, tứ chứng nan y” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.