bắt lính
Definition
- Verb (historical):
- To conscript by force, to press-gang: The act of forcibly recruiting men into military service, typically by a governing authority. This term often refers to historical practices where individuals were taken against their will to serve as soldiers.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Chính quyền thực dân thường bắt lính ở các làng quê. (The colonial government often press-ganged men from rural villages.)
- Nhiều thanh niên thời đó lo sợ bị bắt lính. (Many young men of that era feared being forcibly conscripted.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "bắt lính" is primarily used in historical or literary contexts to describe compulsory military recruitment, particularly during periods of war or colonial rule. It carries a negative connotation of coercion and lack of personal choice.
Variants and Related Words
- Động viên (v): to mobilize, to call up (military service). This is a more general and modern term for conscription, which may or may not imply the same degree of force.
- Chính phủ động viên công dân nhập ngũ. (The government mobilizes citizens for military service.)
Synonyms
- To press-gang: To forcibly enlist someone into military or naval service.
- To impress: To force someone into service, especially in the navy.
- To forcibly conscript: To compel by law or authority to join the armed forces.
Related Idioms
- While "bắt lính" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, the concept is historically associated with phrases describing forced service, such as "bắt đi lính" (to seize someone to make them a soldier).
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Circonscript by force, press-gang
