lậu

Thân thiện

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Illicit; Contraband: Describes goods that are produced, imported, or sold illegally, typically to avoid taxes or regulations.
   • Adulterated; Bootleg: Refers to products, especially alcohol, that are illegally produced or distributed.

2. Noun (Medical):

   • Gonorrhea: A sexually transmitted bacterial infection.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cảnh sát thu giữ một lô hàng lậu. (The police seized a shipment of contraband goods.)
  • Họ bán thuốc lá lậu. (They sell illicit cigarettes.)
• Noun (Medical):
  • Bệnh lậu có thể chữa khỏi bằng kháng sinh. (Gonorrhea can be cured with antibiotics.)

Advanced Usage

• The adjective "lậu" is almost always used in compound words to specify the type of illicit activity or goods.
• "Buôn lậu": to smuggle.
  • Bọn tội phạm buôn lậu động vật quý hiếm. (The criminals smuggle rare animals.)
• "Rượu lậu": bootleg alcohol; illicit liquor.
  • Uống rượu lậu rất nguy hiểm cho sức khỏe. (Drinking bootleg alcohol is very dangerous to your health.)

Variants and Related Words

• Buôn lậu (v): to smuggle.
• Hàng lậu (n): contraband goods, smuggled goods.
• Thuốc lá lậu (n): illicit cigarettes.
• Rượu lậu (n): bootleg alcohol.

Synonyms

• Illicit: Forbidden by law or rules.
• Contraband: Goods that are illegally imported or exported.
• Smuggled: Moved secretly and illegally.
• Gonorrhea (for the medical noun).

Related Idioms

• Lậu như cái thùng: Literally "leaky like a barrel". This idiom uses the original, now less common, meaning of "lậu" as a leak or drip. It describes something that is full of holes or very porous, or figuratively, a person who cannot keep a secret.
  • Cái thuyền cũ ấy lậu như cái thùng. (That old boat is leaky like a barrel.)
  • Đừng kể bí mật cho anh ta, anh ta lậu như cái thùng. (Don't tell him secrets, he can't keep anything confidential.)

Học thuật

noun

1. (Med) gonorrhoea; blennorrhagia

adj

1. Illicit; contraband
   • hàng lậu thuế
     contraband goods