ác nhơn tự hữu ác nhơn ma

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

Meaning · English

The wicked have their own wicked demons — one bad actor is ground down by another; evil wears out evil.

Literally: evil people have evil people's devils
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 “ác nhơn tự hữu ác nhơn ma” mean?

The wicked have their own wicked demons — one bad actor is ground down by another; evil wears out evil. Literally: evil people have evil people's devils

Is “ác nhơn tự hữu ác nhơn ma” formal or informal?

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