Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

vô tiểu nhơn bất thành quân tử

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

Meaning · English

No small men, no gentlemen — each rank exists by the other's contrast; the ladder needs both ends.

Literally: without petty men, gentlemen aren't made

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 “vô tiểu nhơn bất thành quân tử” mean?

No small men, no gentlemen — each rank exists by the other's contrast; the ladder needs both ends. Literally: without petty men, gentlemen aren't made

Is “vô tiểu nhơn bất thành quân tử” formal or informal?

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

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