dữ tu hành, hơn lành kẻ cướp
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Better a wicked monk than a virtuous bandit — even fallen, the frame of discipline outranks the frame of crime.
Literally: a bad practitioner beats a good robber
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.
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Common questions
What does “dữ tu hành, hơn lành kẻ cướp” mean?
Better a wicked monk than a virtuous bandit — even fallen, the frame of discipline outranks the frame of crime. Literally: a bad practitioner beats a good robber
Is “dữ tu hành, hơn lành kẻ cướp” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
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