Definition

1. Noun:
   • Cane, rod, whip: An instrument, typically made of flexible material like bamboo or leather, used historically and traditionally to inflict corporal punishment, especially on children, students, or subordinates, as a method of discipline or chastisement.
   • Corporal punishment / Flogging: The act or system of punishing someone by physically beating them with such an instrument. It symbolizes a harsh, authoritarian disciplinary method.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Giáo dục thời xưa thường dùng roi vọt. (Education in the old days often used the cane.)
  • Nền giáo dục hiện đại bác bỏ hình phạt bằng roi vọt. (Modern education rejects punishment by flogging.)
  • Câu tục ngữ "Yêu con cho roi cho vọt" nay đã lỗi thời. (The proverb "Spare the rod and spoil the child" is now outdated.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "roi vọt" is often used metaphorically to criticize oppressive, coercive, or excessively harsh systems of control, rules, or leadership styles.
  • Phong cách lãnh đạo của ông ấy chẳng khác gì roi vọt. (His leadership style is no different from a whip.)

Variants and Related Words

• Roi (n): A whip, cane, or switch. A simpler, more common term for the instrument.

  • Cô giáo cầm cây roi tre. (The teacher held a bamboo cane.)

• Đòn roi (n): A synonym for beating or flogging, emphasizing the act of striking.

  • Đứa trẻ sợ hãi những trận đòn roi. (The child feared the beatings.)

Synonyms

• Cane: A stick used for beating.
• Whip: A length of leather or cord used for striking.
• Corporal punishment: Physical punishment inflicted on the body.
• Flogging: The action of beating with a whip or stick.

Related Idioms and Proverbs

• Yêu con cho roi cho vọt, ghét con cho ngọt cho bùi (Spare the rod and spoil the child): A traditional proverb advocating strict physical discipline as a sign of love and concern for a child's proper upbringing. This concept is now widely contested.

  • Ông bà ta thường nói "yêu con cho roi cho vọt". (Our ancestors often said, "spare the rod and spoil the child.")

• Kỷ luật roi vọt (Discipline of the whip): Refers to a regime or system maintained through fear and physical punishment.

  • Nhà máy đó nổi tiếng với kỷ luật roi vọt. (That factory is notorious for its discipline of the whip.)

1. Cane, rod (used as an instrument for punishing shildren)
   • Yêu con cho roi cho vọt (từ cũ)
     Spare the rod and spoil the child