Definition

1. Verb:
   • To take pains to get, to go to any lengths to get: To make a great and often excessive effort to obtain something, especially something considered worthless or vain.
   • To bring upon oneself, to court, to ask for: To be the cause of (something negative) happening to oneself; to act in a way that makes a bad outcome likely.
   • To pour (wine/alcohol): To pour wine or alcohol for someone, typically a guest, as an act of serving or invitation to drink.

Usage Examples

• To take pains to get:
  • Đắt thế mà nó vẫn chuốc về. (It was so expensive, but he still took pains to get it.)
  • Anh ta chỉ biết chuốc lấy hư danh. (He only knows how to go to great lengths for vain glory.)
• To bring upon oneself:
  • Hành động đó chỉ chuốc lấy oán thù. (That action will only bring hatred upon you.)
  • Cậu ấy đang chuốc lấy rắc rối. (He is courting trouble.)
• To pour (wine):
  • Ông chủ vui vẻ chuốc rượu cho khách. (The host happily poured wine for the guests.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often carries a negative or critical connotation, implying the action is foolish, unnecessary, or self-destructive.
• In the meaning "to bring upon oneself," it is frequently used with negative outcomes like disaster, hatred, blame, or trouble.

Variants and Related Words

• Chuốc rượu (verb phrase): Specifically means to pour alcohol or to ply someone with drinks.
  • Họ ngồi chuốc rượu cho nhau cả đêm. (They sat pouring drinks for each other all night.)

Synonyms

• To take pains to get: to strive for, to pursue (with negative connotation).
• To bring upon oneself: to incur, to invite, to court.
• To pour: to serve (a drink).

Related Idioms and Proverbs

• Mua thù chuốc oán: (Literally: To buy enmity, to incur hatred) To act in a way that creates enemies and resentment.
• Chuốc vạ vào thân: (Literally: To bring disaster upon one's body) To invite trouble or calamity upon oneself.
• Bán gà nhà chuốc cò nội: (Literally: To sell the domestic chicken to acquire the field heron) A proverb criticizing the act of trading something of real, familiar value for something foreign and worthless.

verb

1. To take pains to get, to go to any lengths to get
   • đắt thế mà nó vẫn chuốc về
     it was so expensive, but he took pains to get it
   • chuốc lấy hư danh
     to go to great lengths to get vain honours
2. To look for, to ask for, to bring on one's head, to court
   • chuốc oán thù
     to bring hatred on one's head
   • chuốc lấy sự thất bại nhục nhã
     to court humiliating defeat
3. To pour out (wine) for guests