hành phạt

hành phạt

Tòa án sẽ hành phạt những kẻ phạm tội.

Definition
  1. Verb:
    • To punish: To inflict a penalty or sanction on someone for an offense, fault, or transgression. This is the core and most common meaning.
    • To chastise: To discipline or reprimand, often with the connotation of correcting behavior through punishment.
Usage Examples
  • Verb:
    • Tòa án sẽ hành phạt những kẻ phạm tội. (The court will punish the offenders.)
    • Giáo viên không nên hành phạt học sinh bằng những hình thức quá khắc nghiệt. (Teachers should not punish students with overly harsh methods.)
    • Cha mẹ hành phạt con vì không vâng lời. (The parents chastised their child for disobedience.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term "hành phạt" is formal and carries a strong, often severe or official, connotation. It is commonly used in legal, judicial, or formal disciplinary contexts. It is less frequent in casual, everyday speech about minor corrections.
Variants and Related Words

  • Trừng phạt (v): to punish, to penalize. Often used interchangeably with "hành phạt" but can emphasize retribution.

    • Chế độ độc tài đó trừng phạt bất kỳ ai chống đối. (That dictatorial regime punishes anyone who opposes it.)

  • Trừng trị (v): to punish, to chastise. Similar to "trừng phạt," with a strong sense of making an example of someone.

    • Phải trừng trị thích đáng tội tham nhũng. (Corruption must be punished appropriately.)

  • Kỷ luật (v/n): to discipline / discipline. Focuses on maintaining order within a group or system.

    • Công ty kỷ luật nhân viên đi làm muộn. (The company disciplines employees for being late.)
Synonyms
  • Punish: To impose a penalty for an offense.
  • Chastise: To reprimand or criticize severely.
  • Penalize: To subject to a penalty, especially in law or under rules.
Related Idioms
  • Hành xác: Literally "to torture the body." Means to overwork oneself or to endure harsh physical conditions. While not a direct synonym, it shares the root "hành" (to carry out) and conveys a sense of inflicted suffering.
    • Làm việc 16 tiếng một ngày chẳng khác nào hành xác. (Working 16 hours a day is nothing short of torturing oneself.)