Definition

1. Verb:
   • To swear a solemn or vehement oath: The phrase "thề độc" refers to the act of making a very serious, forceful, and often emotionally charged vow or pledge. It implies invoking something sacred or severe to guarantee one's truthfulness or commitment.
   • To swear by one's life or by something sacred: It often carries the connotation of swearing upon something of ultimate personal importance, sometimes even one's own life or well-being, to emphasize sincerity.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy thề độc rằng mình không nói dối. (He swore a solemn oath that he was not lying.)
  • Cô ấy thề độc sẽ không bao giờ quay lại nữa. (She swore vehemently that she would never return.)
  • Họ thề độc trước bàn thờ tổ tiên. (They swore a sacred oath before the ancestral altar.)

Advanced Usage

• The oath in "thề độc" is typically made in situations requiring absolute conviction, such as proving innocence, making a lifelong promise, or denying an accusation. It is stronger and more dramatic than a simple "thề" (to swear).

Variants and Related Words

• Thề (v): to swear, to vow. This is the neutral, base form.
  • Tôi thề tôi sẽ làm. (I swear I will do it.)
• Thề thốt (v): to swear profusely or repeatedly (can sometimes imply insincerity).
  • Anh ta chỉ biết thề thốt suông. (He only knows how to make empty vows.)

Synonyms

• Swear solemnly: To make a formal, serious oath.
• Vow vehemently: To promise with intense feeling or passion.
• Pledge one's honor: To commit oneself with one's reputation at stake.

Related Idioms

• While "thề độc" itself is a set phrase, it is conceptually related to the gravity of oaths in idioms.
• Thề sống thề chết: To swear by life and death (an even more extreme form of swearing).
  • Họ thề sống thề chết không bao giờ phản bội nhau. (They swore by life and death never to betray each other.)