bắt bò
Definition
- Verb:
- To hold someone accountable, to demand compensation or redress: The phrase "bắt bò" is a humorous or colloquial way of saying "to demand that someone pay for or fix something they have broken or damaged." It implies catching someone in the act and making them take responsibility.
- To pin the blame on someone, to make someone pay for a mistake: It can also mean to insist that someone is held responsible for an error or accident, often in a lighthearted or teasing manner.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Này, cậu làm vỡ bình hoa của tôi rồi, tôi sẽ bắt bò cậu đấy! (Hey, you broke my vase, I'm going to make you pay for it!)
- Đừng lo, nó chỉ đùa thôi, không thật sự bắt bò cậu đâu. (Don't worry, he's just joking, he won't really hold you accountable.)
- Trong trò chơi, ai thua sẽ bị bắt bò mua nước cho cả nhóm. (In the game, the loser will be held accountable to buy drinks for the whole group.)
Advanced Usage
- "bắt bò" as a fixed humorous phrase: This term is almost exclusively used in a casual, humorous context. It is not used in formal situations. The humor comes from the literal meaning ("to catch a cow") being used for a figurative situation.
- Thôi nào, tôi biết lỗi rồi, đừng có bắt bò tôi nữa! (Come on, I admit my mistake, don't keep holding me accountable!)
Variants and Related Words
- Bắt đền (verb): To demand compensation. This is the more standard, less humorous synonym for "bắt bò."
- Công ty sẽ bắt đền anh nếu có thiệt hại. (The company will hold you liable if there is any damage.)
- Bắt vạ (verb): To demand a penalty or reparations (often in a traditional or village context).
- Đền (verb): To compensate, to pay for.
Synonyms
- Hold accountable: Buộc phải chịu trách nhiệm.
- Make someone pay for something: Bắt ai đó trả giá/đền cho cái gì.
- Demand compensation: Yêu cầu bồi thường.
Related Phrases
- Bắt bò... mua sữa: A common extended joke meaning "to hold someone so accountable that they must even buy the milk from the cow they 'caught'." It emphasizes the humorous, exaggerated nature of the demand.
- Anh làm hỏng máy tính của tôi, tôi sẽ bắt bò anh mua sữa! (You broke my computer, I'm going to hold you accountable to the fullest!)
Related Idioms
- Ăn vạ: To make a false or exaggerated claim of injury or damage to extort compensation. (This has a more negative, manipulative connotation compared to the playful "bắt bò").
- Đứa trẻ ngã nhẹ nhưng lại nằm ăn vạ. (The child fell lightly but lay there making a scene to get something.)