Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

vị tri sanh, yên tri tử

🎙 Say it

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

Meaning · English

Not yet knowing life, how know death — Confucius's answer to every question about the hereafter.

Literally: not yet knowing living, how know dying

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 “vị tri sanh, yên tri tử” mean?

Not yet knowing life, how know death — Confucius's answer to every question about the hereafter. Literally: not yet knowing living, how know dying

Is “vị tri sanh, yên tri tử” formal or informal?

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

👁 Views 0 today 0 past 7 days 0 this month 0 all time