cáo thoái
Definition
- Verb (rare, formal):
- To request to withdraw or retire: To formally ask for permission to leave a position, duty, or gathering, often used in historical or ceremonial contexts.
- To take one's leave: To bid farewell formally.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Sau buổi yến tiệc, các quan đều cáo thoái về phủ. (After the banquet, the mandarins all requested to withdraw and return to their residences.)
- Ông ấy cáo thoái khỏi hội đồng quản trị vì lý do sức khỏe. (He requested to retire from the board of directors for health reasons.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "cáo thoái" is considered literary and archaic in modern Vietnamese. It is primarily encountered in historical texts, period dramas, or very formal ceremonial language. In contemporary speech, simpler phrases are used.
Variants and Related Words
- Cáo từ (v): to say goodbye, to take one's leave. This is more common than "cáo thoái" in modern usage.
- Anh ấy cáo từ ra về trước mọi người. (He said goodbye and went home before everyone else.)
- Cáo lui (v): to retreat, to withdraw (often from a situation or place).
- Đạo quân buộc phải cáo lui. (The army was forced to retreat.)
Synonyms
- Withdraw: To remove oneself from participation.
- Retire: To leave one's job or position.
- Take leave: To bid farewell formally.
Related Idioms
- Cáo quan về quê: To resign from an official post and return to one's hometown. This idiom conveys a complete retirement from public life.
- Sau nhiều năm làm quan, cụ đã cáo quan về quê. (After many years as a mandarin, the elder resigned and returned to his hometown.)