cắp vặt
Definition
- Verb:
- To pilfer; to snitch; to commit petty theft: The act of stealing items of small value or in small quantities, often repeatedly or habitually. It implies a sneaky, opportunistic, and minor form of theft.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Đứa trẻ hay cắp vặt đồ ngọt trong cửa hàng. (The child often pilfers sweets from the store.)
- Anh ta bị bắt vì tội cắp vặt tiền lẻ từ ví của đồng nghiệp. (He was arrested for snitching loose change from his colleague's wallet.)
- Hành vi cắp vặt tuy nhỏ nhưng vẫn là phạm pháp. (Although petty, pilfering is still illegal behavior.)
Advanced Usage
- The term often carries a connotation of a habitual or compulsive action, not just a single isolated incident. It describes a pattern of behavior.
- It is frequently used in legal or social contexts to differentiate minor theft ("cắp vặt" or "trộm cắp vặt") from grand larceny.
Variants and Related Words
- Trộm cắp vặt (n/phr): Petty theft; petty larceny. This is the formal noun phrase for the crime itself.
- Hắn có tiền án về trộm cắp vặt. (He has a criminal record for petty theft.)
Synonyms
- To pilfer: To steal things of little value.
- To filch: To steal something, especially something of little value, in a casual way.
- To snitch: (Slang) To steal.
- To commit petty theft: The formal legal description of the action.
Related Idioms
- Cắp vặt không nên người: (Proverb) Literally "Petty pilfering does not make a proper person." It means that engaging in small, dishonest acts corrupts one's character and prevents one from becoming a respectable individual.
- Mẹ thường dạy "cắp vặt không nên người". (My mother often taught that "petty pilfering does not make a proper person.")