Definition

Verb: - To blame, to find fault with, to accuse: To hold someone responsible for a mistake or wrongdoing; to criticize or condemn someone's actions. - To punish, to inflict punishment on: To impose a penalty or consequence on someone for an offense.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy không nên bắt tội tôi vì một lỗi nhỏ như vậy. (He shouldn't blame me for such a small mistake.)
  • Thầy giáo bắt tội học sinh vì không làm bài tập. (The teacher punished the student for not doing the homework.)
  • Đừng bắt tội nó, nó chỉ là một đứa trẻ. (Don't blame him, he's just a child.)

Advanced Usage

• "bắt tội cho": To blame/punish on behalf of or for the sake of (someone or something).
  • Anh ta bắt tội cho cả nhóm vì quyết định sai lầm của mình. (He took the blame for the whole group because of his own wrong decision.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bắt lỗi (verb): To find fault, to point out an error. (Focuses more on identifying a mistake than on assigning blame or punishment).

  • Giám khảo bắt lỗi chính tả trong bài luận. (The judge pointed out spelling errors in the essay.)

• Kết tội (verb): To convict, to pronounce guilty (often in a legal or formal context).

  • Tòa án đã kết tội kẻ giết người. (The court convicted the murderer.)

Synonyms

• Trách móc: To reproach, to scold (often with a sense of personal disappointment).
• Khiển trách: To reprimand, to censure (more formal).
• Phạt: To punish (a more general and common term for punishment).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Bắt tội vặt: To nitpick, to find petty faults.
  • Sếp mới hay bắt tội vặt nhân viên. (The new boss often nitpicks the employees.)

Related Idioms

• "Bắt tội oan": To blame or punish unjustly; to wrongfully accuse.
  • Cậu bé bị bắt tội oan vì cái ly vỡ. (The boy was wrongly blamed for the broken glass.)

verb

1. To inflict punishment on