Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To stop working, to cease an activity: "buông tay" literally means to let go of one's hand, and is used figuratively to mean stopping work or ceasing a manual or ongoing activity.
   • To release one's grip, to let go: The phrase can also retain its literal meaning of physically releasing one's hold on something.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Buông tay làm là hút thuốc. (As soon as he stops working/knocks off, he smokes.)
  • Vừa mới buông tay nó đã phải đi ra. (As soon as he ceased working, he had to go out.)
  • Anh ấy buông tay khỏi công việc và đi nghỉ trưa. (He stopped working and went for a lunch break.)
  • Đứa trẻ buông tay khỏi cành cây và rơi xuống. (The child let go of the tree branch and fell down.)

Advanced Usage

• "buông tay xuôi": to give up, to surrender (often implying resignation to fate).

  • Sau nhiều lần thất bại, anh ta đã buông tay xuôi. (After many failures, he gave up/surrendered.)

• "buông tay bỏ mặc": to abandon, to leave someone/something to its fate.

  • Không thể buông tay bỏ mặc dự án lúc này được. (We cannot abandon the project at this moment.)

Variants and Related Words

• Buông (verb): to release, to let go, to drop.

  • Buông rèm xuống. (Let the curtain down.)

• Buông tha (verb phrase): to let go, to release (often from captivity or obligation).

  • Hãy buông tha cho anh ấy. (Let him go.)

Synonyms

• Nghỉ tay: to take a break (from work).
• Dừng tay: to stop one's hand (from doing something).
• Thôi, ngừng: to stop, to cease.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Buông ra: to let go of, to release.

  • Buông tay ra khỏi dây thừng. (Let go of the rope.)

• Buông xuôi: to give up, to let things slide (often with a negative connotation of neglect).

  • Đừng buông xuôi mọi chuyện như vậy. (Don't just give up on everything like that.)

Related Idioms

• Buông tay lơi tay: to be careless, to not pay proper attention (to one's work or duty).

  • Làm việc quan trọng, đừng buông tay lơi tay. (When doing important work, don't be careless.)

• Buông câu, buông lưới: to cast a line/net (for fishing). This is a specific compound use of "buông" and not directly related to "buông tay," but it shares the core meaning of releasing something.

1. Stop work[ing], knock off
   • Buông tay làm là hút thuốc
     As soon as he knocks off, he smokes