Definition

Noun: - Thief; Burglar: A person who steals property, typically without the owner's permission and often by stealth. The term generally refers to someone who commits theft or burglary.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cảnh sát đã bắt được kẻ trộm. (The police have caught the thief.)
  • Kẻ trộm đột nhập vào nhà lúc nửa đêm. (The burglar broke into the house at midnight.)
  • Mọi người cần cẩn thận đề phòng kẻ trộm. (People need to be careful to guard against thieves.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "kẻ trộm" often carries a negative and descriptive connotation, focusing on the identity or character of the person as a criminal. It is more specific than the general word for thief ("tên trộm" is also common and similar in meaning).

Variants and Related Words

• Ăn trộm (v): to steal.

  • Nó bị cáo buộc ăn trộm tiền. (He is accused of stealing money.)

• Tên trộm (n): thief, burglar (very similar in usage to "kẻ trộm").

  • Tên trộm bị camera an ninh ghi lại. (The thief was recorded by the security camera.)

• Trộm cắp (n): theft, stealing (the act or crime).

  • Tội trộm cắp bị trừng trị nghiêm khắc. (The crime of theft is punished severely.)

Synonyms

• Thief: A person who steals.
• Burglar: A person who illegally enters a building to commit theft.
• Robber: A person who steals from someone using force or threat (note: "kẻ trộm" usually implies stealth, while "kẻ cướp" is closer to robber).

Related Idioms

• Kẻ trộm gặp bà già: Literally "a thief meets an old lady," meaning a cunning person meets their match or a trickster encounters someone even more cunning.
  • Hắn định lừa người khác, nào ngờ kẻ trộm gặp bà già. (He intended to cheat others, but little did he know, the thief met his match.)

noun

1. thief; burglar