Definition

Verb: - To show deep gratitude for, to reward liberally: The act of giving gifts or money to express profound thanks, typically after receiving significant help or a favor. This term often implies a formal or substantial reciprocation.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Sau khi được bác sĩ cứu sống, gia đình anh ấy muốn hậu tạ thật hậu hĩnh. (After the doctor saved his life, his family wanted to reward him very generously.)
  • Ông ấy hậu tạ người đã giúp đỡ mình trong lúc khó khăn. (He showed deep gratitude to the person who helped him in difficult times.)

Advanced Usage

• "Hậu tạ" often carries a nuance of a formal, material reciprocation that is proportional to the benefit received. It is more specific and weightier than a simple "cảm ơn" (thank you).
• The term can sometimes exist in a grey area between a sincere thank-you gift and a potentially problematic payment for services, depending on the context.

Variants and Related Words

• Tạ ơn (verb): To give thanks, to express gratitude. This is a more general and often less material term than "hậu tạ."
• Biếu (verb): To give (as a present, often to a superior or elder). "Biếu" is a common verb for giving gifts, which can be part of the act of "hậu tạ."
• Đền ơn đáp nghĩa (idiom): To repay kindness and obligation. This is a broader ethical concept that encompasses the idea behind "hậu tạ."

Synonyms

• Đền đáp: To repay, to reciprocate.
• Báo đáp: To require, to repay (a favor).

Related Phrases

• Hậu tạ xứng đáng: To reward/repay deservedly.
  • Anh ta đã hậu tạ xứng đáng cho sự giúp đỡ đó. (He rewarded that help deservedly.)

Related Idioms

• Ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây: Literally "When eating the fruit, remember the planter." It means to be grateful to the benefactor. The act of "hậu tạ" is a concrete manifestation of this sentiment.
• Ơn đền nghĩa trả: A debt of gratitude must be repaid. This idiom directly relates to the concept of "hậu tạ."

1. Show deep gratitude for, reward liberally