Tiên học lễ, hậu học văn
“First learn good manners, only then learn letters.”
Moral character and proper conduct must be cultivated before academic knowledge.
— Traditional Vietnam Wisdom, Vietnam
Source: Traditional Vietnamese proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Vietnam
When eating the fruit, remember who planted the tree.
Always be grateful to those whose earlier labor made your present benefit possible.
Traditional Vietnam Wisdom
Read more →
When drinking water, remember its source.
Never forget the origins of your good fortune or the people who came before you.
Traditional Vietnam Wisdom
Read more →
With enough effort grinding iron, one day it becomes a needle.
Patient, persistent effort will eventually accomplish even the hardest task.
Traditional Vietnam Wisdom
Read more →
The whole leaf wraps the torn leaf.
Those who are well-off should protect and help those who are suffering.
Traditional Vietnam Wisdom
Read more →
One tree makes no hill; three trees together make a high mountain.
Unity and collective effort achieve what no individual can do alone.
Traditional Vietnam Wisdom
Read more →
Near ink you turn black; near the lamp you turn bright.
The company you keep shapes your character for better or worse.
Traditional Vietnam Wisdom
Read more →