trung thần bất húy tử, húy tử bất trung thần

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

Meaning · English

The loyal fear no death; the death-fearing are not loyal — allegiance is priced in exactly one currency.

Literally: loyal ministers dread not death
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 “trung thần bất húy tử, húy tử bất trung thần” mean?

The loyal fear no death; the death-fearing are not loyal — allegiance is priced in exactly one currency. Literally: loyal ministers dread not death

Is “trung thần bất húy tử, húy tử bất trung thần” formal or informal?

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