Tiếng Việt · Idiom Attested

theo đóm ăn tàn

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

Meaning · English

Trailing the embers to eat the ash — hangers-on living off the sparks of others' fires.

Literally: follow the firebrand, eat the cinders

Examples

Đám theo đóm ăn tàn quanh sếp.The ember-followers around the boss, feeding on ash.

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 “theo đóm ăn tàn” mean?

Trailing the embers to eat the ash — hangers-on living off the sparks of others' fires. Literally: follow the firebrand, eat the cinders

Is “theo đóm ăn tàn” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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