báo thù
Học thuậtThân thiện
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
- To revenge oneself upon, to avenge, to take vengeance on