yêu cho đòn, ghét cho ăn
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Love gives the rod, hate gives the treats — the old inversion: discipline is care, indulgence is neglect.
Literally: loving: give blows; hating: give food
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 “yêu cho đòn, ghét cho ăn” mean?
Love gives the rod, hate gives the treats — the old inversion: discipline is care, indulgence is neglect. Literally: loving: give blows; hating: give food
Is “yêu cho đòn, ghét cho ăn” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.