Definition

1. Noun:

   • Taboo / prohibition: A social or cultural prohibition against a specific action, behavior, word, or object, often based on tradition, superstition, or religious belief.
   • Superstition / superstitious avoidance: A practice of avoiding something believed to bring bad luck, misfortune, or spiritual harm.

2. Verb:

   • To abstain from / to avoid: To refrain from doing, using, saying, or eating something due to cultural, religious, or superstitious reasons.
   • To observe a taboo: To follow a rule of prohibition as part of a tradition or belief system.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Có nhiều kiêng kỵ trong ngày Tết. (There are many taboos during the Lunar New Year.)
  • Kiêng kỵ đó đã có từ lâu đời. (That superstition has existed for generations.)

• Verb:

  • Người bệnh phải kiêng kỵ đồ cay. (The sick person must abstain from spicy food.)
  • Họ kiêng kỵ không nói điều đó vào ngày đầu tháng. (They avoid saying that on the first day of the month.)

Advanced Usage

• "điều kiêng kỵ": a taboo thing/matter.

  • Chỉ tay vào mộ là một điều kiêng kỵ. (Pointing at a grave is a taboo.)

• "vùng đất kiêng kỵ": a forbidden/ taboo land.

  • Ngọn núi đó được coi là vùng đất kiêng kỵ. (That mountain is considered a forbidden land.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kiêng cữ (v/n): Often used interchangeably with "kiêng kỵ," especially regarding health or dietary restrictions.

  • Bà ấy đang kiêng cữ sau khi sinh. (She is observing postpartum dietary restrictions.)

• Điều cấm kỵ (n): a strict prohibition or a strong taboo.

  • Đó là điều cấm kỵ trong tôn giáo của họ. (That is a strict prohibition in their religion.)

Synonyms

• Taboo: A social or cultural ban.
• Prohibition: The act of forbidding something.
• Superstition: Irrational belief leading to avoidance.
• Abstinence: The act of refraining from something.

Related Idioms

• Kiêng như kiêng tà: To avoid something as if avoiding an evil spirit (to strictly abstain).

  • Ông ấy kiêng rượu như kiêng tà. (He avoids alcohol like the plague.)

• Kiêng khem đủ thứ: To abstain from all sorts of things (often regarding a strict diet).

  • Vì bệnh gút, ông ấy phải kiêng khem đủ thứ. (Because of gout, he has to abstain from all sorts of things.)