Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

khôn ăn người, dại người ăn

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In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

The clever eat others; the foolish are eaten — the market's shortest food chain.

Literally: wise eat people, foolish are eaten

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 “khôn ăn người, dại người ăn” mean?

The clever eat others; the foolish are eaten — the market's shortest food chain. Literally: wise eat people, foolish are eaten

Is “khôn ăn người, dại người ăn” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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