quân tử tại giả, tiểu nhơn tại triều
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Gentlemen in the fields, small men at court — the age turned upside down, rank and place traded.
Literally: gentlemen in the wilds, petty men at court
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 tại giả, tiểu nhơn tại triều” mean?
Gentlemen in the fields, small men at court — the age turned upside down, rank and place traded. Literally: gentlemen in the wilds, petty men at court
Is “quân tử tại giả, tiểu nhơn tại triều” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.