Definition

1. Verb:
   • To repay, to require, to recompense: To return a favor, kindness, or significant benefit received from someone. It implies a sense of moral obligation to give back in kind for a good deed or great help.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy luôn tìm cách báo đền ơn cứu mạng của người dân làng. (He is always looking for a way to repay the villagers for saving his life.)
  • Tôi không biết làm sao để báo đền công ơn dưỡng dục của cha mẹ. (I don't know how to repay my parents for their upbringing and kindness.)
  • Ân huệ đó thật lớn, tôi nguyện dùng cả đời để báo đền. (That favor was immense; I vow to spend my whole life requiting it.)

Advanced Usage

• The word báo đền carries a strong connotation of gratitude and moral duty. It is typically used for significant acts of kindness or life-changing help, not for minor favors.
• It often appears in formal, literary, or emotionally charged contexts related to filial piety, profound gratitude, or deep personal debt.

Variants and Related Words

• Báo đáp (verb): A direct synonym, meaning to repay or require. "Báo đền" is often explained as "Như báo đáp" (Same as báo đáp).
• Báo ơn (verb): To repay a debt of gratitude, to require a kindness.
• Đền ơn (verb): To repay a favor, to return a kindness.
• Trả ơn (verb): To return a favor (can be used for both small and significant acts).

Synonyms

• Đền đáp: To repay, to compensate.
• Bù đắp: To compensate, to make up for.

Related Idioms

• Ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây: Literally "When eating the fruit, remember the one who planted the tree." It conveys the idea of remembering and being grateful to one's benefactors, which is the core sentiment behind báo đền.
• Uống nước nhớ nguồn: Literally "When drinking water, remember its source." Similar to the above, it emphasizes gratitude towards the origin of benefits received.

1. Như báo đáp