Tiếng Việt · Idiom Attested

thả con săn sắt, bắt con cá rô

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

Also seen as: thả con tép, bắt con tôm

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To give up something small in order to gain something bigger — a small bait for a large catch.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bỏ đi một thứ nhỏ để đạt được một thứ lớn hơn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: Release a little paradise fish to catch a climbing perch.

How to use it

✓ Use it when

Describing strategic small sacrifices, loss-leaders, or calculated generosity.

Where it’s used: Used Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora

Examples

Khuyến mãi tháng đầu chỉ là thả con săn sắt, bắt con cá rô thôi.The first-month discount is just releasing a little fish to catch a bigger one.

Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

Equivalents & related

Direct equivalent a sprat to catch a mackerel A small investment or concession made in hope of a much larger gain. English

Topics: Fish

Common questions

What does “thả con săn sắt, bắt con cá rô” mean?

To give up something small in order to gain something bigger — a small bait for a large catch. Literally: Release a little paradise fish to catch a climbing perch.

Is “thả con săn sắt, bắt con cá rô” formal or informal?

thả con săn sắt, bắt con cá rô is generally neutral; connotation: strategic.

What is the closest equivalent?

“a sprat to catch a mackerel” (English) — direct equivalent.