bỏ thì thương, vương thì tội
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Discard it and grieve; keep it and suffer — the dilemma of what can neither stay nor go.
Literally: abandoning: pity; retaining: burden
Examples
Bỏ thì thương, vương thì tội.Too dear to drop, too heavy to hold.
Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)
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 “bỏ thì thương, vương thì tội” mean?
Discard it and grieve; keep it and suffer — the dilemma of what can neither stay nor go. Literally: abandoning: pity; retaining: burden
Is “bỏ thì thương, vương thì tội” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.