thoát tội
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To escape punishment / to avoid penalty: To successfully evade or not receive a legal or formal penalty for an act that was committed.
- To be acquitted / to be found not guilty: To be declared free from legal guilt or blame, typically by a court or other authority.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Hắn đã thoát tội nhờ luật sư giỏi. (He escaped punishment thanks to a good lawyer.)
- Bị cáo được thoát tội vì thiếu chứng cứ. (The defendant was acquitted due to lack of evidence.)
- Không ai có thể thoát tội trước pháp luật mãi. (No one can avoid the law's penalty forever.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often implies a sense of relief from an expected negative consequence, not necessarily implying innocence.
- It can be used in both formal legal contexts and informal situations where someone avoids blame or reprimand.
Variants and Related Words
- Thoát án (v): to escape a sentence/verdict.
- Bị cáo hy vọng sẽ thoát án tử hình. (The defendant hopes to escape the death sentence.)
- Thoát nạn (v): to escape disaster/danger.
- Họ may mắn thoát nạn trong vụ hỏa hoạn. (They were lucky to escape the fire.)
Synonyms
- To get off scot-free: to escape without any punishment.
- To be exonerated: to be absolved from blame.
- To evade justice: to avoid being held accountable by the law.
Related Idioms
- Thoát tội đày vườn: (Literally: to escape the punishment of being exiled to the garden) A humorous or ironic way to say someone got off very lightly.
- Chỉ bị phạt cảnh cáo, nó thoát tội đày vườn rồi. (Just getting a warning, he got off incredibly lightly.)