cho chữ
Definition
- Verb Phrase:
- To grant a written divorce (archaic): In historical contexts, this phrase specifically refers to a husband formally granting his wife a written document of divorce, thereby acquiescing to the dissolution of the marriage.
Usage Examples
- Verb Phrase:
- Người chồng đã cho chữ để vợ được tự do tái giá. (The husband granted the written divorce so his wife could be free to remarry.)
- Theo luật cũ, chỉ người chồng mới có quyền cho chữ. (According to the old law, only the husband had the right to grant a written divorce.)
Advanced Usage
- This term is almost exclusively used in historical, legal, or literary contexts discussing pre-modern Vietnamese marriage customs. It is not used in contemporary legal language.
Variants and Related Words
- Viết thư bỏ (verb phrase): A more descriptive, non-archaic way to say "to write a letter of abandonment/divorce."
- Ly hôn (verb): The modern, standard term for "to divorce."
Synonyms
- Viết giấy ly dị (verb phrase): To write a divorce paper (modern phrasing applied to historical context).
- Đồng ý ly hôn bằng văn bản (verb phrase): To agree to divorce in writing.
Notes on Meaning
- This phrase carries significant historical and cultural weight. It reflects a patriarchal system where the formal power to initiate a divorce rested primarily with the husband. The "chữ" (letter/character) here refers to the official divorce document.