quân tử lao tâm tiểu nhơn lao lực
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The gentleman toils in mind, the small man in muscle — each rank pays its own coin of labor.
Literally: gentleman labors the heart; petty man labors the strength
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 “quân tử lao tâm tiểu nhơn lao lực” mean?
The gentleman toils in mind, the small man in muscle — each rank pays its own coin of labor. Literally: gentleman labors the heart; petty man labors the strength
Is “quân tử lao tâm tiểu nhơn lao lực” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.