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.
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.