Definition

1. Noun:
   • Robber, brigand: A person who steals from others, especially by using force or threats, often in a violent manner. This term strongly implies criminality and the use of intimidation or violence.
   • Bandit, outlaw: A person who lives outside the law, typically operating alone or in a gang, and engages in theft, especially in rural or remote areas.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Kẻ cướp đã đột nhập vào ngân hàng lúc nửa đêm. (The robber broke into the bank at midnight.)
  • Đoàn xe bị một nhóm kẻ cướp tấn công trên đường núi. (The convoy was attacked by a group of brigands on the mountain road.)
  • Cảnh sát đang truy lùng tên kẻ cướp nguy hiểm đó. (The police are hunting for that dangerous bandit.)

Advanced Usage

• "Hành động/Thái độ kẻ cướp": Refers to behavior or an attitude that is brutish, thuggish, or characteristic of a robber.
  • Anh ta có hành động kẻ cướp, luôn dùng vũ lực để giải quyết vấn đề. (He has a thuggish behavior, always using force to solve problems.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cướp (verb/noun): To rob; a robbery or robber. This is the root verb. "Kẻ cướp" is the noun form specifying the person.
  • Vụ cướp (robbery case).
• Kẻ cướp biển (noun): Pirate. A specific type of robber who attacks ships at sea.
  • Những kẻ cướp biển đã chiếm giữ con tàu. (The pirates seized the ship.)
• Tên cướp (noun): Synonymous with "kẻ cướp," often used with a slightly more derogatory or familiar tone.
  • Tên cướp đó đã bị bắt. (That robber has been arrested.)

Synonyms

• Tên trộm: Thief (generally implies stealth rather than overt violence).
• Kẻ cắp: Thief, pickpocket (often for smaller-scale theft).
• Kẻ gian, kẻ xấu: Villain, evildoer (more general terms for a bad person).

Related Phrases

• Băng cướp (noun phrase): Gang of robbers, band of brigands.
  • Một băng cướp đang hoành hành trong vùng. (A gang of robbers is wreaking havoc in the area.)
• Đường cướp (noun phrase, historical/formal): Main road notorious for robberies; a dangerous road.
  • Con đường này xưa kia nổi tiếng là đường cướp. (This road was famously dangerous in the old days.)

Related Idioms

• Mặt kẻ cướp: Having the face of a robber; used to describe someone who looks very fierce, intimidating, or untrustworthy.
  • Hắn ta nhìn mặt kẻ cướp, ai cũng phải sợ. (He has the face of a robber, everyone is afraid of him.)
• Ăn ở như kẻ cướp: To live/behave like a robber; to act in a brutish, uncivilized, or exploitative manner.
  • Họ ăn ở như kẻ cướp, chẳng tôn trọng ai. (They behave like brigands, respecting no one.)

noun

1. robber, brigand