Definition

1. Noun:
   • Reason / Motive: The fundamental cause or justification for an action, decision, or belief. It refers to the underlying basis or rationale.
   • Legal Ground / Cause: In formal or legal contexts, it denotes the specific grounds for a case, claim, or argument.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cảnh sát đang điều tra nguyên cứ vụ án. (The police are investigating the motive of the case.)
  • Anh ấy trình bày nguyên cứ từ chối lời đề nghị. (He presented his reason for declining the offer.)
  • Nguyên cứ khởi kiện phải rõ ràng. (The grounds for litigation must be clear.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is considered formal and somewhat rare in everyday modern Vietnamese. It is more likely to be encountered in legal, academic, or official documents.
• It can sometimes be synonymous with "lý do" (reason) or "căn nguyên" (root cause), but carries a more formal or precise connotation.

Variants and Related Words

• Nguyên nhân (n): Cause, origin. More commonly used for the cause of an event or situation.
  • Nguyên nhân vụ cháy là chập điện. (The cause of the fire was an electrical short.)
• Lý do (n): Reason. The most common and general term for a reason.
  • Lý do anh đến muộn là gì? (What is the reason for your lateness?)

Synonyms

• Reason: A cause, explanation, or justification.
• Motive: A reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or underlying.
• Grounds: The foundation or basis for something, often used in legal contexts.

Related Idioms

• Its formal and specific nature makes it unsuitable for most idiomatic expressions.