Tiếng Việt · Proverb Candidate

Thượng bất chánh, hạ tắc loạn

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Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Meaning · English

If the leadership is unjust, the society will be in chaos

Literally: Above not correct, below then chaotic

Examples

Nếu thượng bất chánh, hạ tắc loạn, đất nước sẽ không thể phát triểnIf the leadership is unjust, the society will be in chaos, the country cannot develop

AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

Sources & notes

Headword listed in the vdict.com proverb dictionary index (discovery source; headword only — no source content copied). Entered as candidate 2026-08-05; definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-08-08; pending editor spot-check.

Common questions

What does “Thượng bất chánh, hạ tắc loạn” mean?

If the leadership is unjust, the society will be in chaos Literally: Above not correct, below then chaotic

Is “Thượng bất chánh, hạ tắc loạn” formal or informal?

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

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