Definition

1. Noun:
   • Retribution, karma: "Quả báo" refers to the Buddhist concept of the consequences of one's actions, where good deeds lead to good outcomes and bad deeds lead to suffering, often across lifetimes. It implies a cosmic or moral cause and effect.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Làm việc ác thì sẽ gặp quả báo. (Doing evil will lead to retribution.)
  • Anh ấy tin rằng sự giàu có của mình là quả báo tốt từ kiếp trước. (He believes his wealth is good karma from a past life.)
  • Đó là quả báo cho những lời nói dối của cô ta. (That is the karmic retribution for her lies.)

Advanced Usage

• "Gặp/quả báo": to face/meet retribution.
  • Kẻ phản bội cuối cùng cũng gặp quả báo. (The traitor finally met his karmic retribution.)
• "Quả báo nhãn tiền": immediate retribution (retribution witnessed right before one's eyes).
  • Hành động của hắn đã dẫn đến quả báo nhãn tiền. (His actions led to immediate retribution.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nghiệp báo (n): Karmic retribution; often used similarly to "quả báo" but can emphasize the action (nghiệp/karma) leading to the result (báo).
• Báo ứng (n): Retribution, payback; a more general term for retribution that may not always carry the specific Buddhist karmic connotation.
• Nhân quả (n): Cause and effect; the broader principle of which "quả báo" is a specific result or "fruit" (quả).

Synonyms

• Sự trừng phạt: Punishment (more secular, often from a conscious agent).
• Hậu quả: Consequence (neutral, general term for result).

Related Phrases

• "Gieo nhân nào, gặt quả nấy": You reap what you sow. (This idiom directly explains the concept of "quả báo".)
• "Ác giả ác báo": Evil begets evil retribution. (A common saying related to negative "quả báo".)

Notes on Meaning

• Primary Meaning: In Vietnamese, especially within Buddhist context, "quả báo" almost exclusively refers to karmic retribution across lifetimes. It is a profound concept of moral justice.
• Modern/Colloquial Use: In everyday language, it can be used more loosely to mean "poetic justice" or "comeuppance" for bad actions, even without a literal belief in reincarnation. However, the karmic undertone remains strong.

1. Retribution, karma