chợ chưa họp, kẻ cắp đã đông
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The market not yet open, the pickpockets already thick — predators arrive before the prey does.
Literally: market unopened, cutpurses already crowded
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.
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Common questions
What does “chợ chưa họp, kẻ cắp đã đông” mean?
The market not yet open, the pickpockets already thick — predators arrive before the prey does. Literally: market unopened, cutpurses already crowded
Is “chợ chưa họp, kẻ cắp đã đông” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
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