thuận thì tu văn đức, nghịch tắc thắng võ công
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
In peace, cultivate the civil; against defiance, prevail by arms — the ruler's two hands.
Literally: compliant: refine civil virtue; rebellious: triumph by martial merit
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 “thuận thì tu văn đức, nghịch tắc thắng võ công” mean?
In peace, cultivate the civil; against defiance, prevail by arms — the ruler's two hands. Literally: compliant: refine civil virtue; rebellious: triumph by martial merit
Is “thuận thì tu văn đức, nghịch tắc thắng võ công” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.