Definition

1. Noun:
   • A share in a rotating credit association: A "bát họ" is a single contribution or share within a traditional Vietnamese mutual savings and loan association, known as a "họ" or "hụi." It represents one member's stake in the collective fund.
   • The act of participating in such an association: The term can also refer to the action or practice of joining and contributing to a "họ."

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Bà tôi giữ một bát họ để dành tiền mua nhà. (My grandmother holds a share in a credit association to save money to buy a house.)
  • Tham gia bát họ là một hình thức tiết kiệm phổ biến. (Participating in a rotating credit association is a common form of saving.)

Advanced Usage

• The system operates on trust and social bonds. Members contribute a fixed sum ("bát họ") at regular intervals, and each cycle, one member receives the total pooled fund.

Variants and Related Words

• Họ / Hụi / Phường: (n) The rotating credit association or savings circle itself.
  • Cả phường đều tham gia vào cái họ đó. (The whole neighborhood participates in that credit circle.)
• Chủ họ: (n) The organizer or manager of the association.
  • Chủ họ chịu trách nhiệm thu tiền. (The association manager is responsible for collecting money.)

Synonyms

• Tontine share: A comparable concept in some Western financial traditions.
• Rotating savings contribution: A descriptive English phrase for the concept.

Related Idioms

• Đáo hạn họ: Refers to the moment when it is a member's turn to receive the pooled fund.
  • Tháng sau là đến lượt tôi đáo hạn họ. (Next month it is my turn to receive the association fund.)
• Vỡ họ: Describes the collapse or failure of the association, often when a member defaults.
  • Nhiều người mất tiền khi cái họ đó vỡ. (Many people lost money when that credit association collapsed.)