ma cũ nạt ma mới
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The old ghost hazes the new ghost — seniority's bullying, even among spirits.
Literally: old ghost menaces new ghost
Examples
Ma cũ nạt ma mới, lính mới khổ.Old ghosts haze the new — rookies suffer.
Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)
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 “ma cũ nạt ma mới” mean?
The old ghost hazes the new ghost — seniority's bullying, even among spirits. Literally: old ghost menaces new ghost
Is “ma cũ nạt ma mới” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.