Definition

1. Verb:
   • To bequeath; to leave (money or property) to somebody: The primary meaning of "để của" is to leave one's wealth or possessions to another person, typically through a will or inheritance.
   • (Archaic) To bury one's wealth; to secretly hide treasure: An older, historical usage referring to the practice of concealing valuables by burying them, often for safekeeping.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Ông cụ để của lại cho người con trai út. (The old man bequeathed his property to his youngest son.)
  • Theo truyền thuyết, tên cướp đã để của trong hang động này. (According to legend, the robber buried his treasure in this cave.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is formal and is most commonly encountered in legal, historical, or literary contexts. The archaic meaning is rarely used in modern conversation but may appear in stories or historical texts.

Variants and Related Words

• Để lại tài sản (v): to leave behind assets/property. A more modern and common phrase with a similar meaning to the primary definition of "để của".
  • Bà ấy đã để lại tài sản cho một quỹ từ thiện. (She left her estate to a charity fund.)

Synonyms

• Bequeath: to leave (property) to a person by a will.
• Leave to: to give something to someone after one's death.
• (For archaic sense) Bury treasure: to hide valuables underground.

Related Idioms

• Để của làm vốn: To leave wealth as capital/legacy for the next generation. This idiom emphasizes leaving an inheritance to provide a foundation for descendants.
  • Cha mẹ cố gắng để của làm vốn cho con cháu. (Parents strive to leave wealth as capital for their children and grandchildren.)

1. Leave (money or property) to somebody.
2. (cũ) Bury one's wealth