có cớ
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To have a pretext; to have an excuse: To possess a reason or justification, often one that is fabricated or used to conceal the true motive for an action or decision.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Anh ấy có cớ để về nhà sớm. (He has an excuse to go home early.)
- Cô ấy luôn có cớ cho sự vắng mặt của mình. (She always has a pretext for her absence.)
- Họ tìm cách có cớ hủy cuộc hẹn. (They tried to find a way to have an excuse to cancel the appointment.)
Advanced Usage
"Được dịp có cớ": To seize the opportunity to have an excuse; to find a convenient pretext.
- Anh ta được dịp có cớ để không tham dự buổi họp. (He seized the opportunity to have an excuse not to attend the meeting.)
"Có cớ chính đáng": To have a legitimate/valid excuse.
- Cô ấy có cớ chính đáng cho việc đến muộn. (She has a legitimate excuse for being late.)
Variants and Related Words
Cớ (noun): Pretext, excuse.
- Anh ấy viện cớ bị ốm. (He used the pretext of being sick.)
Viện cớ (verb phrase): To use as an excuse; to plead.
- Đừng viện cớ nữa. (Don't make any more excuses.)
Synonyms
- Có lý do: To have a reason (can be neutral or genuine, while "có cớ" often implies a less sincere justification).
- Tìm cớ: To find/make an excuse (emphasizes the active search for a pretext).
Related Phrases
Nại cớ (verb phrase): To plead an excuse; to allege a pretext. Similar to "viện cớ."
- Hắn nại cớ bận việc gia đình. (He pleaded the excuse of being busy with family matters.)
Bịa cớ (verb phrase): To fabricate/invent an excuse.
- Đừng bịa cớ nữa! (Stop making up excuses!)
Related Idioms
- "Có cớ mượn đầu heo nấu cháo": Literally "to have an excuse to borrow a pig's head to cook porridge." This idiom means to use a minor or initial reason as a pretext to achieve a larger, often unrelated, objective.
- Hắn có cớ mượn đầu heo nấu cháo, cuối cùng lại chiếm luôn cái bếp. (He used a small excuse to borrow the pig's head, and ended up taking over the whole kitchen [i.e., he used a minor pretext for a major gain].)