sưu

Definition

1. Noun (Historical):
   • Corvée: A form of unpaid, compulsory labor or service demanded by the feudal or colonial state from the populace, typically for public works like building roads, fortifications, or canals.
   • Poll Tax / Capitation: A direct tax levied on every adult male, usually from the age of eighteen, by a feudal or colonial government.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Dân làng bị bắt đi sưu để xây thành. (The villagers were forced into corvée labor to build the citadel.)
  • Người đàn ông phải nộp sưu cho chính quyền thực dân. (The man had to pay the poll tax to the colonial authorities.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "sưu" is almost exclusively used in a historical context, referring to oppressive systems of labor and taxation in Vietnam's feudal (e.g., Nguyễn dynasty) and colonial (French administration) past. It is not used in contemporary legal or administrative language.

Variants and Related Words

• Sưu dịch (n): A term combining "sưu" (corvée/poll tax) and "dịch" (service/portering), often referring broadly to forced labor and conscripted service.

  • Thời phong kiến, sưu dịch là gánh nặng của người dân. (In feudal times, corvée and forced service were a burden on the people.)

• Thuế sưu (n): Specifically refers to the poll tax or head tax component.

  • Thuế sưu đánh vào mỗi nam giới trưởng thành. (The poll tax was imposed on every adult male.)

Synonyms

• Corvée: Unpaid labor demanded by authorities.
• Poll Tax: A tax levied on every individual.
• Capitation: Another term for a head tax or poll tax.
• Forced Labor: Compulsory work without fair compensation.

Related Idioms

• Đi sưu: To go perform corvée labor; to be conscripted for forced labor.

  • Thanh niên trong làng lo sợ bị gọi đi sưu. (The young men in the village feared being called up for corvée.)

• Nộp sưu: To pay the poll tax.

  • Gia đình nghèo không có tiền nộp sưu. (The poor family had no money to pay the poll tax.)