Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

ăn trước trả sau

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

Meaning · English

Eat first, pay after — enjoying now what must be settled later.

Literally: eat before, repay after

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 trước trả sau” mean?

Eat first, pay after — enjoying now what must be settled later. Literally: eat before, repay after

Is “ăn trước trả sau” formal or informal?

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

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