phải vạ
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To be fined / to be penalized: To be subjected to an official monetary penalty or punishment for an offense or violation.
- To be held liable / to be held responsible: To be forced to bear the blame, consequences, or compensation for a wrongdoing or problematic situation.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Anh ta ăn cắp và đã phải vạ. (He stole and was fined/penalized.)
- Công ty xả thải ra sông nên phải vạ rất nặng. (The company dumped waste into the river and was heavily fined.)
- Có xe phải vạ mà đi bộ. ([Literally] You have a car yet you bear the nuisance of walking. / Why bother walking when you have a car?)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often implies not just a legal fine but a broader sense of suffering negative consequences or inconvenience due to one's own actions or situation.
- It can be used in a rhetorical or proverbial sense to criticize someone for choosing a difficult or inconvenient option when a better one is available, as in the common example "Có xe phải vạ mà đi bộ."
Variants and Related Words
- Phải tội (verb phrase): A near-synonym meaning "to be guilty," "to be at fault," or "to be punished." It is often used interchangeably with .
Synonyms
- To be fined: To be ordered to pay money as a penalty.
- To be penalized: To be subjected to a punishment or disadvantage.
- To bear the brunt: To suffer the worst part of something unpleasant.
Related Idioms
- Có xe phải vạ mà đi bộ: A common idiomatic expression meaning "to choose a harder path when an easier one is available" or "to endure an unnecessary hassle." It criticizes irrational or inefficient choices.
- như phải tội