mật ước
Definition
Noun:
- Secret pact / secret agreement: A formal or binding promise, arrangement, or treaty made between parties, which is deliberately kept hidden from others, especially from the public or rival entities.
- Secret covenant: A solemn, often mutual, pledge or understanding that is concealed.
Verb (less common):
- To make a secret pact / to pledge in secret: The act of agreeing or promising something to another party in a concealed manner.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- Hai nước đã ký một mật ước về việc hỗ trợ quân sự. (The two countries signed a secret pact on military support.)
- Mật ước giữa họ cuối cùng cũng bị phát hiện. (The secret agreement between them was finally discovered.)
Verb:
- Họ đã mật ước sẽ giúp đỡ lẫn nhau trong mọi hoàn cảnh. (They pledged in secret to help each other under all circumstances.)
Advanced Usage
- The term often carries a formal or serious connotation, used in contexts of diplomacy, politics, or clandestine plots. It implies a level of intentional secrecy that could have significant consequences if revealed.
Variants and Related Words
- Hiệp ước bí mật (n): Secret treaty. A more formal synonym, often used in historical or diplomatic contexts.
- Giao kèo ngầm (n): Underhanded deal or covert contract. Can imply a morally questionable secret agreement.
Synonyms
- Secret agreement: A general term for any undisclosed arrangement.
- Clandestine pact: Emphasizes the surreptitious and concealed nature.
- Covert treaty: Highlights the formal, often political, aspect of the hidden agreement.
Related Idioms
- Bàn mật: To discuss secretly / to have a confidential discussion. While not an idiom containing "mật ước," it describes the act of secret planning that often precedes one.
- Lãnh đạo hai bên bàn mật suốt đêm. (The leaders of both sides held secret talks all night.)