quân tử ứ hự thì đau

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

Meaning · English

A cleared throat wounds the gentleman — to the honorable, the gentlest reproach lands like a blow.

Literally: at the gentleman, a mere ahem hurts

Examples

Người biết điều chỉ cần nhắc khéo, quân tử ứ hự thì đau.The considerate need only a hint — an ahem wounds the gentleman.

Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)

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 ứ hự thì đau” mean?

A cleared throat wounds the gentleman — to the honorable, the gentlest reproach lands like a blow. Literally: at the gentleman, a mere ahem hurts

Is “quân tử ứ hự thì đau” formal or informal?

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