trộm cắp
Definition
Noun:
- Theft / Stealing: The general act of taking someone else's property without permission or legal right.
- Thieves / Burglars: A collective term for people who commit theft.
Verb (less common):
- To steal / to thieve: The act of committing theft. (Note: This verbal form is derived from the noun and is used more broadly as "trộm cắp" to describe the activity.)
Usage Examples
Noun:
- Khu vực này thường xuyên xảy ra nạn trộm cắp. (Theft frequently occurs in this area.)
- Cảnh sát đã bắt được một nhóm trộm cắp. (The police caught a group of thieves.)
Verb:
- Hắn chuyên đi trộm cắp. (He specializes in stealing.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "trộm cắp" often implies petty or general theft, as opposed to large-scale robbery ("cướp"). It can encompass various acts like shoplifting, burglary, or pickpocketing.
- It is commonly used in formal contexts, such as legal documents or news reports, to categorize crime.
Variants and Related Words
Ăn trộm / Ăn cắp (v): to steal. These are more common verbal forms for the act of stealing.
- Tên ăn trộm đã đột nhập vào nhà. (The burglar broke into the house.)
Kẻ trộm / Tên trộm (n): thief, burglar (specifically a person).
- Kẻ trộm bị camera an ninh ghi lại. (The thief was recorded by the security camera.)
Trộm (v/n): to steal / a thief. A shorter, more colloquial form.
- Đồng hồ của tôi bị trộm. (My watch was stolen.)
Synonyms
- Theft: the action or crime of stealing.
- Larceny: a legal term for theft of personal property.
- Stealing: the act of taking something that does not belong to you.
- Thievery: the practice of stealing.
Related Idioms and Phrases
Trộm cắp như rươi: Thieves are as plentiful as sandworms (a type of small, abundant worm). This idiom means thieves are everywhere or are extremely numerous.
- Khu chợ này hỗn loạn, trộm cắp như rươi. (This market is chaotic; thieves are everywhere.)
Nuôi ong tay áo, nuôi cáo trong nhà: To raise a bee in one's sleeve or a fox in one's house (meaning to harbor a thief or traitor).
- Anh tin nó, khác nào nuôi ong tay áo, để xảy ra trộm cắp. (You trusted him, which is like raising a bee in your sleeve, leading to theft.)