Definition

Verb: * To revenge oneself upon, to avenge, to take vengeance on: To inflict harm or punishment on someone in return for a wrong or injury they have caused. It implies a deliberate act of retaliation.

Usage

• The verb báo thù is used to describe the act of seeking or enacting revenge. It is a transitive verb and often follows the structure: báo thù (cho ai/điều gì) - to avenge (someone/something).
• It carries a strong, often negative connotation associated with cycles of violence and personal retribution.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Hắn thề sẽ báo thù kẻ đã giết cha mình. (He swore to avenge his father's killer.)
  • Cô ấy không muốn sống với mục đích duy nhất là báo thù. (She did not want to live with the sole purpose of taking revenge.)
  • Họ trả thù để báo thù cho những tổn thất trong chiến tranh. (They retaliated to avenge the war losses.)

Advanced Usage

• "Nuôi ý định báo thù": To harbor thoughts of revenge.
  • Sau sự phản bội, anh ta nuôi ý định báo thù. (After the betrayal, he harbored thoughts of revenge.)
• "Mối thù cần báo": A vendetta that needs to be settled; a grudge that demands vengeance.
  • Đó là một mối thù cần báo giữa hai gia tộc. (That is a vendetta between two families that needs to be settled.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trả thù (verb): A very close synonym, often used interchangeably with báo thù. It can sometimes sound slightly more direct or immediate.
  • Họ tìm cách trả thù. (They sought a way to get revenge.)
• Báo oán (verb): To avenge a wrong or injustice; carries a similar meaning but can imply avenging a grievance or injustice.
• Thù (noun): Enmity, grudge, hatred stemming from a wrong.
  • mối thù truyền kiếp (a lifelong feud / a blood feud)
• Thù hận (noun): Hatred, rancor.
• Kẻ thù (noun): Enemy.

Synonyms

• Trả đũa: To retaliate (can be used in broader contexts, not always for personal wrongs).
• Trừng trị: To punish (often by an authority, less personal than ).
• Đền tội: To pay for a crime/to atone (focuses on the perpetrator making amends, not the victim acting).

Related Idioms

• "Ăn miếng trả miếng": Tit for tat; an eye for an eye. Describes a direct retaliation in kind.
  • Mối quan hệ của họ chỉ là ăn miếng trả miếng. (Their relationship is just tit for tat.)
• "Máu trả máu": Blood for blood. Refers to severe vengeance, often lethal.
• "Gậy ông đập lưng ông": The rod of the master strikes the master's back. Meaning one's own actions or schemes backfire and cause harm to oneself. This describes a form of poetic justice rather than direct revenge.

verb

1. To revenge oneself upon, to avenge, to take vengeance on