đời xưa trả báo mà chầy, đời nay trả báo một giây nhãn tiền
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Retribution once took generations; now it settles before your eyes — karma's clearing time has shortened.
Literally: of old, requital was slow; today it repays in a blink
Sources & notes
Discovered via Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “đời xưa trả báo mà chầy, đời nay trả báo một giây nhãn tiền” mean?
Retribution once took generations; now it settles before your eyes — karma's clearing time has shortened. Literally: of old, requital was slow; today it repays in a blink
Is “đời xưa trả báo mà chầy, đời nay trả báo một giây nhãn tiền” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.