Definition

1. Verb:
   • To demand; to ask for; to claim: To express a strong desire or requirement for something, often something one believes is owed or deserved.
   • To summon; to subpoena: To formally call or order someone to appear, especially in a legal or authoritative context.
   • (Archaic) To imitate; to copy (often in a negative sense): To try to mimic or follow someone's behavior or actions, usually used in a critical way.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cô ấy đòi gặp người quản lý. (She demanded to see the manager.)
  • Công ty đòi bồi thường thiệt hại. (The company demanded compensation for damages.)
  • Tòa án đòi nhân chứng ra hầu tòa. (The court summoned the witness to appear.)
  • Đừng có đòi học theo thói hư của nó. (Don't try to copy his bad habits.)

Advanced Usage

• "đòi hỏi": to require; to demand (a higher standard or condition).
  • Công việc này đòi hỏi sự kiên nhẫn. (This job requires patience.)
• "đòi nợ": to demand repayment of a debt; to collect a debt.
  • Chủ nợ đến đòi nợ. (The creditor came to collect the debt.)
• "kêu đòi": to cry out for; to clamor for (often used for abstract concepts like justice).
  • Lương tâm kêu đòi sự thật. (Conscience cries out for the truth.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sự đòi hỏi (n): a demand; a requirement.
  • Sự đòi hỏi của khách hàng ngày càng cao. (Customer demands are increasingly high.)
• Con đòi (n, archaic): a young female servant.
  • (Historical usage)
• Đòi phen (adv, literary): many times; on several occasions (an archaic adverbial form).
  • Đòi phen trắc trở, đòi phen êm đềm. (There were times of hardship, times of peace.)

Synonyms

• Yêu cầu: to request; to ask for (generally more polite or formal than ).
• Đề nghị: to propose; to suggest (softer than ).
• Bắt buộc: to compel; to force (emphasizes obligation).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Đòi lại: to demand back; to reclaim.
  • Anh ta đòi lại số tiền đã cho vay. (He demanded back the money he had lent.)
• Đòi ăn: (literally: to demand food) used for children or animals insisting on being fed.
  • Đứa bé khóc đòi ăn. (The baby cried, demanding food.)

Related Idioms

• Học đòi: to imitate (someone's often bad behavior); to ape.
  • Nó chỉ biết học đòi thói xấu. (He only knows how to copy bad habits.)
• Theo đòi (bút nghiên): (literary) to pursue (scholarly endeavors); to engage in study.
  • Quyết chí theo đòi nghiệp sách đèn. (Determined to pursue the path of study.)

verb

1. to claim back; to demand; to ask; to require
   • đòi quyền lợi của mình
     to claim one's right
2. To summon; to subpoena