thượng bất chính, hạ tắc loạn
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: thượng bất chánh hạ tắc loạn
Meaning · English
If the superior is not virtuous, the inferior will be chaotic
Literally: Superior not correct, inferior then chaotic
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Examples
Nếu thượng bất chính, hạ tắc loạn, xã hội sẽ rơi vào tình trạng hỗn loạnIf the superior is not virtuous, the inferior will be chaotic, society will fall into a state of chaos
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed on Vietnamese Wikiquote “Thành ngữ Việt Nam” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “thượng bất chính, hạ tắc loạn” mean?
If the superior is not virtuous, the inferior will be chaotic Literally: Superior not correct, inferior then chaotic
Is “thượng bất chính, hạ tắc loạn” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.