vật bất tề vật chi tình dã
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Things are unequal by nature — prices differ because things do; so ruled Mencius.
Literally: things unequal: the nature of things
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 “vật bất tề vật chi tình dã” mean?
Things are unequal by nature — prices differ because things do; so ruled Mencius. Literally: things unequal: the nature of things
Is “vật bất tề vật chi tình dã” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.