cấu véo

Definition

Verb:
- To pinch and twist (someone's skin): The primary meaning refers to the physical action of using fingers to pinch and twist a small area of someone's skin, often causing mild pain. This is typically done playfully among children or as a mild form of punishment or teasing.
- To pilfer, to siphon off (money, funds): In a figurative and colloquial sense, it means to embezzle or steal small amounts of money or resources, especially from a public or collective fund, in a sneaky, gradual manner.

Usage Examples

Literal meaning (to pinch):
- Đứa trẻ hay cấu véo bạn khi tranh giành đồ chơi. (The child often pinches his friend when fighting over toys.)
- Bà ngoại cấu véo má cháu một cái thật yêu. (Grandma gave her grandchild an affectionate pinch on the cheek.)
Figurative meaning (to pilfer funds):
- Hắn ta bị phát hiện cấu véo tiền từ quỹ lớp. (He was caught siphoning money from the class fund.)
- Việc cấu véo ngân sách nhà nước là hành vi phạm pháp. (Pilfering the state budget is an illegal act.)

Advanced Usage

The figurative usage is informal and carries a strong negative connotation, implying dishonesty and abuse of position for petty personal gain. It often describes actions that are hard to detect because they involve small amounts taken repeatedly over time.

Variants and Related Words

Cấu (verb): To pinch. A simpler, more general term for pinching.
Véo (verb): To twist (skin). Often used in combination with "cấu" for emphasis.
Tham nhũng (noun/verb): Corruption; to be corrupt. A more formal and severe term for large-scale embezzlement or abuse of power.
Bớt xén (verb): To skim off; to deduct a portion dishonestly. A close synonym for the figurative meaning.

Synonyms

Bóp (verb): To squeeze. Can be used in a similar physical context but lacks the specific twisting motion.
Nẫy (verb - Northern dialect): To pinch. A regional synonym for the physical action.
Biển thủ (verb): To embezzle. A formal legal term for misappropriating funds.

Related Phrases (Collocations)

Cấu véo tiền bạc: To pilfer money.
Cấu véo của công: To embezzle public property/assets.
Cấu véo nhau (literal): To pinch each other (often in a quarrel or play-fight).

Related Idioms

While "cấu véo" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, the action is conceptually related to the idea of "vặt lông chân giò" (to pluck hairs from a pig's leg), which is an idiom meaning to exploit or take small advantages repeatedly from someone or something.