Definition

1. Verb:
   • To promise, to make a pledge: "hẹn ước" refers to the act of making a formal or solemn promise, often with a sense of commitment to a future action or condition. It carries a literary or poetic nuance.
   • To agree upon, to make an appointment: It can also imply agreeing on a future meeting or arrangement, though this meaning is less common than the primary sense of promising.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Họ đã hẹn ước sẽ yêu nhau trọn đời. (They promised to love each other for a lifetime.)
  • Trong thư, anh ấy hẹn ước một ngày sẽ trở về. (In the letter, he promised that one day he would return.)

Advanced Usage

• "lời hẹn ước": a promise, a pledge (used as a noun phrase).
  • Lời hẹn ước năm xưa giờ đã phai mờ. (The promise from years ago has now faded.)
• "hẹn ước trăm năm": to pledge for a hundred years; a poetic way to promise eternal love or a lifelong commitment.
  • Đôi trai gái ấy đã hẹn ước trăm năm dưới gốc cây đa. (That young couple pledged a hundred-year commitment under the banyan tree.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hẹn (verb): to arrange, to make an appointment. (Less formal and literary than "hẹn ước").
  • Tôi hẹn gặp cô ấy vào lúc 3 giờ. (I arranged to meet her at 3 o'clock.)
• Ước hẹn (verb/noun): a synonym with the same meaning as "hẹn ước", also literary.
  • Ước hẹn của họ thật đẹp. (Their promise was beautiful.)
• Lời hứa (noun): a promise (more common in everyday speech).
  • Anh ấy luôn giữ lời hứa. (He always keeps his promises.)

Synonyms

• Hứa hẹn: to promise, to pledge (can be used in both literary and common contexts).
• Cam kết: to commit, to pledge (often used in formal or legal contexts).

Related Idioms

• "Hẹn ước đầu xuân": a springtime promise; often refers to romantic promises made at the beginning of spring.
  • Câu chuyện tình của họ bắt đầu với một hẹn ước đầu xuân. (Their love story began with a springtime promise.)

1. (văn chương) promise