ăn cơm quốc gia, thờ ma cộng sản

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

Sense 1

Meaning · English

to eat the State's rice while worshiping the Communist spirits

Connotation: offensive or derogatory to many

Where it’s used: Used Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Sources & notes

Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗

Sense 2

Meaning · English

to betray one's country; to bite the hand that feeds one

Connotation: offensive or derogatory to many

Examples

Tuy nhiên Ấp Chiến-Lược một quốc-sách lợi-hại tốt đẹp đã rào xã, rào Ấp mà không rào lòng họ, còn ác cảm, e ngại rằng sinh nỗi thân hàn, tâm hán, ăn cơm Quốc-gia, thờ ma Cộng-sản thì có thể ảnh-hưởng không lợi cho Ấp Chiến-Lược.However much the Strategic Hamlet Program is a bad or good national policy, communes and hamlets have been fenced up but hearts cannot be hemmed in, and there is enmity and hesitation that beget feelings akin to being friendly with the Koreans but having a heart for the Chinese [wordplay on "body" a

Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Equivalents & related

Common questions

What does “ăn cơm quốc gia, thờ ma cộng sản” mean?

to eat the State's rice while worshiping the Communist spirits

Is “ăn cơm quốc gia, thờ ma cộng sản” formal or informal?

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

What is the closest equivalent?

“bite the hand that feeds one” (English) — near equivalent.