không làm thì đừng ăn
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
No work, no eating — the table serves only the hands that served it.
Literally: not working, then don't eat
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 “không làm thì đừng ăn” mean?
No work, no eating — the table serves only the hands that served it. Literally: not working, then don't eat
Is “không làm thì đừng ăn” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.