ăn trộm có tang, chơi ngang có tích

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

Meaning · English

Theft leaves evidence, mischief leaves a record — wrongdoing files its own paperwork.

Literally: stealing has its traces, roguery its records
Sources & notes

Discovered via Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.

Common questions

What does “ăn trộm có tang, chơi ngang có tích” mean?

Theft leaves evidence, mischief leaves a record — wrongdoing files its own paperwork. Literally: stealing has its traces, roguery its records

Is “ăn trộm có tang, chơi ngang có tích” formal or informal?

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