ăn quen, nhịn không quen
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Indulgence comes easy; abstaining doesn't — appetites train faster than restraint ever will.
Literally: used to eating, unused to forgoing
Examples
Bỏ cà phê khó lắm, ăn quen nhịn không quen.Quitting coffee is hard — habits learn faster than restraint.
Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)
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 “ăn quen, nhịn không quen” mean?
Indulgence comes easy; abstaining doesn't — appetites train faster than restraint ever will. Literally: used to eating, unused to forgoing
Is “ăn quen, nhịn không quen” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.