càng quen càng lèn cho đau
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The closer the acquaintance, the harder the squeeze — familiarity licenses the heaviest demands.
Literally: more familiar, pressed more painfully
Examples
Càng quen càng lèn cho đau.The better they know you, the harder they lean.
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 “càng quen càng lèn cho đau” mean?
The closer the acquaintance, the harder the squeeze — familiarity licenses the heaviest demands. Literally: more familiar, pressed more painfully
Is “càng quen càng lèn cho đau” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.