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.
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.