đánh kẻ chạy đi, ai đánh kẻ chạy lại
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Strike the one who flees, never the one who returns — repentance disarms the raised hand.
Literally: beat the runner-away; who beats the runner-back
Examples
Đánh kẻ chạy đi, không ai đánh người chạy lại.Strike the deserter, never the returner.
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 “đánh kẻ chạy đi, ai đánh kẻ chạy lại” mean?
Strike the one who flees, never the one who returns — repentance disarms the raised hand. Literally: beat the runner-away; who beats the runner-back
Is “đánh kẻ chạy đi, ai đánh kẻ chạy lại” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.