kết liễu

Definition

1. Transitive Verb:
   • To finish, to end, to conclude: To bring something to a complete and final end, often a process, event, or situation.
   • To kill, to put an end to (a life): To terminate a life, often with a sense of finality or execution.

Usage Examples

• To finish/conclude:

  • Hai bên đã ký hiệp định để kết liễu cuộc xung đột kéo dài. (The two sides signed an agreement to end the prolonged conflict.)
  • Bài phát biểu của ông ấy kết liễu buổi lễ. (His speech concluded the ceremony.)

• To kill:

  • Nhân vật chính đã kết liễu tên phản diện bằng một phát đạn. (The main character killed the villain with a single shot.)
  • Căn bệnh hiểm nghèo đã kết liễu cuộc đời anh ấy khi còn trẻ. (The severe illness ended his life while he was still young.)

Advanced Usage

• "kết liễu một cách..." (to end in a... manner): Used to describe the manner in which something is concluded.

  • Cuộc đàm phán kết liễu một cách êm đẹp. (The negotiations ended amicably.)

• "bị kết liễu" (to be finished/ended/killed): The passive form, indicating the subject is the one being ended or killed.

  • Âm mưu phản loạn bị kết liễu trước khi kịp thực hiện. (The rebellion plot was ended before it could be carried out.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kết thúc (v): To end, to finish. (A more common and neutral synonym for concluding events.)
• Chấm dứt (v): To cease, to stop, to terminate. (Emphasizes stopping an ongoing state or action.)
• Hủy diệt (v): To destroy, to annihilate. (Stronger, implies complete destruction.)
• Giết (v): To kill. (The most common and direct verb for taking a life.)

Synonyms

• Kết thúc: to end, to finish.
• Chấm dứt: to cease, to terminate.
• Giết: to kill.
• Hủy hoại: to destroy.

Related Phrases (Collocations)

• Kết liễu chiến tranh: to end the war.
• Kết liễu mạng sống: to end a life.
• Kết liễu sự nghiệp: to end a career (often negatively or abruptly).
• Kết liễu một mối quan hệ: to end a relationship (implies a decisive, often final break).

Notes on Usage

• The word "kết liễu" carries a strong, decisive, and often dramatic connotation. It is not used for ordinary, minor endings.
• When meaning "to kill," it often implies a deliberate, definitive, or even execution-style act, not accidental death.
• It is more formal and literary than the common words "kết thúc" (to end) or "giết" (to kill).