Definition

1. Verb (intransitive):
   • To reform morally; to return to an honest life: Specifically refers to a prostitute (in historical or literary contexts) abandoning sex work and choosing to live a virtuous, decent life.
   • To redeem oneself; to go straight: More broadly, it can imply a person leaving a life of crime or disrepute to become a law-abiding citizen.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cô ấy quyết định hồi lương và mở một tiệm may nhỏ. (She decided to reform and open a small tailor shop.)
  • Nhân vật chính trong câu chuyện đã hồi lương sau nhiều năm lang thang. (The main character in the story turned over a new leaf after many years of wandering.)
  • Chính sách của chính phủ khuyến khích các tội phạm hồi lương. (Government policy encourages criminals to rehabilitate.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical, literary, or sociological contexts discussing social rehabilitation. It carries a formal and somewhat dated nuance.
• It can be used metaphorically for institutions or practices abandoning corrupt or unethical ways.

Variants and Related Words

• Hoàn lương (v): A direct synonym, identical in meaning and usage to "hồi lương."
• Sự hồi lương (n): The act of reforming or the state of having reformed.

Synonyms

• Reform: to change for the better.
• Rehabilitate: to restore to a condition of good health or useful activity.
• Go straight: (informal) to stop being a criminal.
• Turn over a new leaf: to start behaving in a better way.

Related Idioms

• While "hồi lương" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, the concept is central to phrases like:
  • Làm lại cuộc đời: to remake one's life.

    • Sau khi hồi lương, bà ấy đã làm lại cuộc đời. (After reforming, she remade her life.)