không ai chịu cha ăn cướp
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
No one owns to being the robber's father — even thieves' kin want clean hands; guilt finds no volunteers.
Literally: none accepts being father of the bandit
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 “không ai chịu cha ăn cướp” mean?
No one owns to being the robber's father — even thieves' kin want clean hands; guilt finds no volunteers. Literally: none accepts being father of the bandit
Is “không ai chịu cha ăn cướp” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.