Definition

Verb: - To pledge, to pawn: To give property (especially real estate like land or a house) to a lender as security for a loan for a fixed period. If the loan is not repaid on time, the lender gains ownership of the property. This term often refers to a traditional form of land transaction in feudal or pre-modern societies.

Usage

This verb describes a specific financial transaction involving collateral, typically land or houses, not small personal items. It implies a conditional transfer of use rights, with the risk of permanent loss.

Examples

• Verb:
  • Gia đình ông ấy đã phải đợ mảnh ruộng cuối cùng để có tiền chữa bệnh. (His family had to pledge their last plot of farmland to get money for medical treatment.)
  • Trong xã hội cũ, nhiều nông dân đợ ruộng cho địa chủ và trở thành tá điền. (In the old society, many peasants pledged their land to landlords and became tenant farmers.)
  • Căn nhà đó đang bị đợ cho ngân hàng. (That house is pledged to the bank.)

Advanced Usage / Nuances

• The term "đợ" carries a historical and socio-economic connotation, frequently associated with the hardship of peasants in pre-reform agricultural societies. It is less common in modern banking contexts, where words like "cầm cố" (to mortgage/pawn) are more typical for formal loans.
• The phrase "ở đợ" means to live in a house as a tenant or caretaker under a pledging agreement, often with the duty to maintain it.

Variants and Related Words

• Cầm cố (verb): To mortgage, to pawn. This is a more general and contemporary term for pledging assets as loan security, applicable to both real estate and movable property.
• Cầm đồ (verb): To pawn (movable property). Specifically used for pawning personal items at a pawnshop.
• Thế chấp (verb): To secure a loan with collateral, often used in modern legal and banking contexts.

Synonyms

• Thế nợ: To use as security for a debt.
• Gán nợ: To pledge (to settle a debt).

Notes on Different Meanings

• "Đợ" is specific to the act of pledging real property (land, houses) under traditional terms. It is not used for pawning jewelry, vehicles, or other personal items.
• The concept involves a temporary transfer of during the loan term, distinct from an outright sale ("bán").

verb

1. to pledge