hồi lương
Definition
- 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.)