trộm cướp
Definition
- Noun:
- Thieves and robbers; banditry: A general term referring collectively to criminals who steal property, encompassing both stealthy theft (trộm) and violent robbery (cướp). It denotes the criminal class or activity as a whole.
- Theft and robbery: The combined criminal acts of stealing.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Khu vực này ban đêm thường có nhiều trộm cướp. (This area often has a lot of thieves and robbers at night.)
- Tình hình trộm cướp ở thành phố đang gia tăng. (The situation of theft and robbery in the city is increasing.)
- Dân làng rất lo sợ bọn trộm cướp. (The villagers are very afraid of the bandits.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in formal contexts like news reports or official statements to broadly describe criminal activity against property.
- It can imply a state of lawlessness or social disorder when used to describe a general situation.
Variants and Related Words
- Kẻ trộm (n): thief, burglar (one who steals secretly).
- Kẻ cướp (n): robber, mugger (one who steals by force or threat).
- Ăn trộm (v): to steal, to burgle.
- Ăn cướp (v): to rob, to hold up.
Synonyms
- Bandits: lawless robbers who typically operate in groups.
- Marauders: people who roam in search of plunder.
- Pillagers: those who rob violently, especially during war or chaos.
Related Idioms
- Đầu trộm đuôi cướp: Literally "a thief at the head, a robber at the tail." Describes a person or action that starts with deceit (like a thief) and ends with violence (like a robber); a slippery character who escalates from minor to major crime.
- Hắn ta là kẻ đầu trộm đuôi cướp, không thể tin được. (He is a treacherous character, starting with trickery and ending with force; completely untrustworthy.)