Definition

1. Noun:
   • Thief: A person who steals something, especially in a stealthy or non-confrontational manner. This is the general and most common term for someone who commits theft.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Kẻ cắp đã đột nhập vào nhà chúng tôi đêm qua. (A thief broke into our house last night.)
  • Cảnh sát vừa bắt được một tên kẻ cắp ở chợ. (The police just caught a thief at the market.)
  • Hãy cẩn thận với kẻ cắp trong đám đông. (Be careful of thieves in the crowd.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "kẻ cắp" often carries a slightly more specific connotation than the general English word "thief." It can imply a person who makes a habit of stealing, a petty thief, or someone who steals through stealth and cunning rather than violent robbery. It is a direct and somewhat informal term.

Variants and Related Words

• Tên trộm (n): Burglar; thief. Often used interchangeably with "kẻ cắp," but can specifically refer to someone who breaks into buildings.
  • Tên trộm lấy đi máy tính xách tay. (The burglar took the laptop.)
• Kẻ móc túi (n): Pickpocket. A thief who steals from people's pockets or bags in public places.
  • Kẻ móc túi lấy ví của bà ấy trên xe buýt. (A pickpocket took her wallet on the bus.)

Synonyms

• Thief: The general term for a person who steals.
• Robber: Often implies theft involving direct confrontation or threat.
• Burglar: A thief who illegally enters a building to commit theft.

Related Idioms

• Kẻ cắp gặp bà già: Literally "a thief meets an old lady." Similar to the English idiom "set a thief to catch a thief" or "it takes one to know one," implying a cunning person meeting their match.
  • Hắn định lừa tôi, nhưng kẻ cắp gặp bà già thôi. (He tried to trick me, but it was a case of a thief meeting his match.)

noun

1. thief