Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

không làm thì đừng ăn

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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.

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