thoái thác
Definition
- Verb:
- To decline: To refuse politely or formally to accept or do something that one has been asked or expected to do.
- To shirk: To avoid or neglect (a duty or responsibility), often through evasive means.
- To make an excuse: To offer a reason or pretext to justify not doing something.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Anh ấy thoái thác lời mời dự tiệc vì bận công việc. (He declined the party invitation due to work commitments.)
- Đừng thoái thác trách nhiệm của mình. (Don't shirk your responsibility.)
- Cô ấy thoái thác bằng cách nói rằng mình không đủ kinh nghiệm. (She made an excuse by saying she lacked sufficient experience.)
Advanced Usage
- "thoái thác trách nhiệm": to shirk/evade responsibility.
- Việc thoái thác trách nhiệm có thể dẫn đến hậu quả nghiêm trọng. (Shirking responsibility can lead to serious consequences.)
Variants and Related Words
- Từ chối (v): to refuse, to reject. This is a more direct and general term for refusal, while "thoái thác" often implies using excuses or evasion.
- Công ty từ chối đề nghị của họ. (The company rejected their proposal.)
Synonyms
- To evade: To avoid or escape from, especially by cleverness or trickery.
- To beg off: To ask to be excused from something.
- To weasel out of: (Informal) To avoid a responsibility or duty in a sneaky or dishonest way.
Related Idioms
- Thoái thác như Từ Hải: (A literary/cultural reference) To evade or refuse in a cunning or formidable manner, alluding to a clever character.
- Gặp việc khó là anh ta thoái thác như Từ Hải. (Whenever a difficult task arises, he evades it masterfully.)
verb
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to deline
