Definition

1. Verb:

   • To break, to violate: To fail to keep or act against a promise, commitment, or agreement.
   • To betray: To be disloyal or unfaithful to someone, especially in a relationship or a bond of trust.

2. Adjective:

   • Multifold, multiple, many times greater: Indicating an amount that is several times larger than a base quantity or expectation.

3. Noun:

   • (Mathematics) Multiple: A number that can be divided by another number without a remainder.
   • (Regional, Central Vietnam) A form of classical drama: Refers to hát bội, a traditional Vietnamese theatrical performance.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Anh ta đã bội lời cam kết. (He broke his pledge.)
  • Bội ơn người đã giúp mình là không nên. (To betray the kindness of someone who helped you is not right.)

• Adjective:

  • Sản lượng năm nay tăng gấp bội. (This year's yield has increased multifold.)
  • Lợi nhuận thu về gấp bội. (The profit earned is many times greater.)

• Noun:

  • Số 12 là bội số của 3. (The number 12 is a multiple of 3.)
  • Hát bội là một loại hình nghệ thuật truyền thống. (Hát bội is a form of traditional art.)

Advanced Usage

• "bội ước": to break a promise or treaty, often used in formal or literary contexts.

  • Hai nước không được bội ước. (The two countries must not break the treaty.)

• "bội nghĩa": to be ungrateful and betray moral obligations.

  • Hành động bội nghĩa sẽ bị mọi người lên án. (An act of betrayal will be condemned by everyone.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bội số (n): multiple (mathematics).

  • Tìm bội số chung nhỏ nhất. (Find the least common multiple.)

• Bội thực (n): (biology) multiple fission.

• Bội thu (n): bumper harvest, exceptionally large yield.
  • Mùa này được mùa bội thu. (This season there is a bumper harvest.)

Synonyms

• Verb: Break, violate, betray, renege.
• Adjective: Multifold, multiplied, manifold.
• Noun: Multiple.

Related Idioms

• Ăn cháo đá bát: (Literally: to eat porridge and kick the bowl) An idiom meaning to bite the hand that feeds you, closely related to the concept of bội ơn (betraying kindness).

  • Hắn ta đúng là kẻ ăn cháo đá bát. (He is truly someone who bites the hand that feeds him.)

• Gấp bội: (to fold multiple times) Means many times over, manifold.

  • Số người tham dự năm nay đông gấp bội. (The number of participants this year is many times larger.)

noun

1. xem hát bội

verb

1. To break, to act counter to
   • bội lời cam kết
     to break one's pledge

adj

1. Multifold, greater
   • mùa màng tốt bội
     the crops are much greater than usual
   • thu bội lên được sáu tấn
     the multifold yield ran to six tons

noun

1. Multiple