chén kèo
Definition
- Noun:
- A drinking pact or challenge: A specific glass of alcohol, often rice wine, offered as part of a social challenge or pact to drink. The term implies an agreement or dare between people to drink.
- A toast with conditions: A toast where drinking is contingent on an agreed-upon condition or bet between participants.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Hai người bạn già đập tay rồi uống cạn chén kèo. (The two old friends shook hands and then drained the pact-drink.)
- Anh ta đề nghị một chén kèo: nếu tôi thua cờ, tôi phải uống. (He proposed a drinking challenge: if I lose at chess, I have to drink.)
Advanced Usage
- The concept is deeply rooted in Vietnamese male-bonding drinking culture. A "chén kèo" often formalizes a bet, a promise, or a reconciliation, making the act of drinking symbolic of sealing that agreement.
Variants and Related Words
- Chén rượu (n): A glass of alcohol (a neutral term without the connotation of a pact).
- Mọi người nâng chén rượu chúc mừng. (Everyone raised their glasses of wine in celebration.)
Synonyms
- Drinking bet: A wager where the stake is drinking alcohol.
- Pact toast: A toast that ratifies an agreement.
Related Idioms
Xuống kèo: To accept or agree to the terms of a bet or challenge.
- Thấy anh ấy tự tin, tôi đành xuống kèo. (Seeing how confident he was, I had to accept the challenge.)
Lên kèo: To propose or set up a bet or challenge.
- Anh ấy lên kèo uống ba chén liền. (He proposed the challenge to drink three glasses in a row.)