chế ước
Definition
- Verb:
- To restrict, to limit, to restrain: "chế ước" means to impose limits or controls on something, such as power, behavior, or emotions, to keep it within certain bounds.
- To curb, to check: It implies an active effort to hold back or control something that might otherwise be excessive or unrestrained.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Một hệ thống kiểm tra và cân bằng là cần thiết để chế ước quyền lực. (A system of checks and balances is necessary to restrain power.)
- Anh ấy cố gắng chế ước cơn giận của mình. (He tried to curb his anger.)
- Luật pháp giúp chế ước những hành vi cực đoan. (The law helps to limit extreme behaviors.)
Advanced Usage
- This is a formal and somewhat literary verb, often used in contexts related to governance, psychology, or social norms. It is not common in everyday casual conversation.
- It often carries a nuance of conscious, deliberate control, especially over abstract concepts like authority, desires, or impulses.
Variants and Related Words
- Kiềm chế (verb): to restrain, to control. This is a more common synonym in modern Vietnamese.
- Hạn chế (verb): to limit, to restrict. Focuses more on setting boundaries.
- Chế ngự (verb): to subdue, to master (e.g., emotions, a situation).
- Sự chế ước (noun): restriction, limitation. The nominal form is even rarer than the verb.
Synonyms
- Hạn chế: to limit.
- Kiềm chế: to restrain, to control.
- Kìm hãm: to hold back, to inhibit.
Related Phrases
- Chế ước quyền lực: to restrict/check power.
- Chế ước cảm xúc: to restrain/control emotions.
- Cơ chế chế ước: a restraining/limiting mechanism.
Notes on Usage
- As indicated by the reference, "chế ước" is considered a rare (rare) word in modern Vietnamese. The more frequently used equivalents are kiềm chế and hạn chế.
- It is primarily found in formal writing, academic texts, or legal/political discourse.