Definition

1. Verb:
   • To claim innocence; to protest one's innocence: To assert or declare that one is not guilty of a crime or wrongdoing, often in a formal or desperate manner.
   • To cry injustice; to appeal against an unjust verdict: To make a complaint or plea against a perceived unfair judgment or treatment.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Người tù liên tục kêu oan trước tòa. (The prisoner continuously claimed his innocence before the court.)
  • Cô ấy viết đơn kêu oan gửi đến các cơ quan chức năng. (She wrote a petition appealing the injustice to the authorities.)
  • Dù bị buộc tội, anh ta vẫn kêu oan và yêu cầu xét xử lại. (Although accused, he still protested his innocence and demanded a retrial.)

Advanced Usage

• The act of often implies a public or formal appeal, suggesting the person believes the system has failed them. It is commonly used in legal and bureaucratic contexts.
• "kêu oan thảm thiết": to plead one's innocence pathetically or desperately.
  • Người đàn bà kêu oan thảm thiết giữa sân tòa. (The woman pleaded her innocence desperately in the courthouse yard.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kêu than (v): to complain, to lament (a more general term for expressing grievance, not specifically about innocence).
• Khiếu nại (v): to file a complaint, to appeal (often used in administrative or legal contexts, can be less emotionally charged than ).
• Cáo trạng (n): an indictment, a charge (the formal accusation that might lead someone to ).

Synonyms

• Plead innocent: To make an earnest appeal declaring one's lack of guilt.
• Cry foul: To protest that something is unfair or unjust (less formal, broader than just legal innocence).
• Appeal: To make a formal request for a decision to be reviewed or changed.

Related Idioms

• Oan như Thị Kính: As wronged as Thị Kính (from a famous Vietnamese folk story). Used to describe someone who is profoundly and unjustly accused.
  • Bà ấy cảm thấy mình oan như Thị Kính nên quyết tâm kêu oan. (She felt as wronged as Thị Kính, so she was determined to appeal the injustice.)

verb

1. to claim innocence