quốc dĩ dân vi bổn
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The nation takes the people as its root — no populace, no state; the base firm, the country calm.
Literally: the state takes the people as foundation
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 “quốc dĩ dân vi bổn” mean?
The nation takes the people as its root — no populace, no state; the base firm, the country calm. Literally: the state takes the people as foundation
Is “quốc dĩ dân vi bổn” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.