Definition

1. Verb:
   • To return to secular life; to leave the monastic or religious life: This term specifically describes the action of a monk, nun, or other religious practitioner formally abandoning their religious vows and duties to re-enter ordinary, worldly society.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Sau mười năm tu hành, vị sư quyết định hoàn tục. (After ten years of religious practice, the monk decided to return to secular life.)
  • Cô ấy hoàn tục vì không còn cảm thấy phù hợp với đời sống tu viện. (She left the monastic life because she no longer felt suited to convent life.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "hoàn tục" is formal and is used almost exclusively in the context of religion and monasticism. It implies a formal, conscious decision and process.
• It can be used in both Buddhist and other religious contexts (e.g., Catholic nuns, monks from various traditions) within Vietnamese discourse.

Variants and Related Words

• Xuất gia (verb): To leave home to become a monk/nun; to enter the monastic life. (This is the opposite action of "hoàn tục").
• Tục gia (noun/adjective): Secular home/family; secular. Related to the worldly life one returns to.

Synonyms

• Trở lại đời thường: To return to normal life. (A more general, less formal phrase).
• Thôi tu: To stop being a monk/nun. (A simpler, more direct phrase).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Related Idioms

1. Give up the frock, terurn to the secular life