Definition

1. Verb:
   • To return to secular life; to leave the monastic order: The primary meaning of "hồi tục" refers to the act of a monk, nun, or other religious cleric formally abandoning their religious vows and duties to re-enter ordinary, secular society.
   • To defrock: This term can also describe the formal process of being stripped of clerical status and authority.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Nhà sư quyết định hồi tục sau mười năm tu hành. (The monk decided to return to secular life after ten years of monastic practice.)
  • Theo luật, một linh mục đã hồi tục không được cử hành các bí tích. (By law, a defrocked priest may not administer the sacraments.)
  • Câu chuyện kể về một người hồi tục và những khó khăn khi hòa nhập lại với cuộc sống bình thường. (The story is about a person who left the monastic order and the difficulties of reintegrating into normal life.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is specific to religious contexts and implies a formal, often official, departure from a religious institution. It is not used for casually leaving a job or non-religious organization.

Variants and Related Words

• Xuất gia (v): To leave home to become a monk/nun; to enter the monastic order. (This is the opposite action of "hồi tục".)
  • Ông ấy xuất gia từ năm hai mươi tuổi. (He entered the monastic order at the age of twenty.)

Synonyms

• To secularize (oneself): To change from religious to secular life.
• To leave the cloth: To abandon one's position as a member of the clergy.
• To be defrocked: To be officially removed from being a priest, monk, etc.

Related Idioms

• There are no common idioms directly using "hồi tục." The concept is typically expressed directly by the verb itself.