Definition

Verb: - To bind, to restrain, to restrict: To limit someone's freedom of action or thought, often through rules, regulations, social norms, or physical means. It implies a state of being confined or held back.

Usage

The verb câu thúc describes an action that imposes limits or controls. It is often used in contexts involving social norms, laws, physical confinement, or restrictive ideologies. - It is commonly used with a direct object indicating who or what is being bound/restrained. - It can be used in both passive and active voice constructions.

Usage Examples

• Active Voice:

  • Lễ giáo phong kiến câu thúc tư tưởng con người. (Feudal ethics restrict people's thinking.)
  • Đừng để những định kiến câu thúc hành động của bạn. (Don't let prejudices bind your actions.)

• Passive Voice:

  • Anh ấy cảm thấy bị câu thúc bởi công việc văn phòng nhàm chán. (He feels restrained by his boring office job.)
  • Trong quá khứ, phụ nữ thường bị câu thúc bởi nhiều hủ tục. (In the past, women were often bound by many outdated customs.)

Advanced Usage

• Câu thúc thân thể: A legal or formal term meaning "physical restraint" or "bodily constraint."
  • Theo luật, việc câu thúc thân thể chỉ được áp dụng trong những trường hợp đặc biệt. (According to the law, physical restraint can only be applied in special cases.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sự câu thúc (Noun): The act or state of being bound/restrained.
  • Sự câu thúc về tinh thần đôi khi còn nặng nề hơn thể xác. (Mental restraint is sometimes heavier than physical restraint.)
• Ràng buộc (Verb): To bind, to tie. Often used interchangeably with , but can imply an obligation or connection rather than purely negative restriction.
• Gò bó (Verb/Adjective): To constrain; constrained, cramped. Emphasizes a feeling of being tightly confined or limited.

Synonyms

• Kiềm chế: To restrain, to hold back (often used for emotions or impulses).
• Hạn chế: To limit, to restrict (often used for scope, rights, or abilities).
• Kìm hãm: To curb, to hold back (often used for development or progress).

Related Idioms

While câu thúc itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, the concept is central to phrases like: - Chân ướt chân ráo: (Lit: one foot wet, one foot dry). Used to describe someone new to a situation who might feel restrained or cautious. - Lần đầu đi làm, cô ấy chân ướt chân ráo, còn nhiều câu thúc. (On her first day at work, she was new and hesitant, feeling quite restrained.)

verb

1. To bind, to restrain
   • không bị lễ giáo phong kiến câu thúc
     not to be bound by feudal morals