Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

thi ân bất cầu báo

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

Meaning · English

Grant the favor, seek no repayment — kindness invoiced is kindness sold.

Literally: bestow grace without seeking return

Examples

Giúp thì giúp thôi, thi ân bất cầu báo.Help and let it go — favors invoiced are favors sold.

Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)

Sources & notes

Discovered via Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.

Common questions

What does “thi ân bất cầu báo” mean?

Grant the favor, seek no repayment — kindness invoiced is kindness sold. Literally: bestow grace without seeking return

Is “thi ân bất cầu báo” formal or informal?

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

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