Definition

1. Verb:
   • To withdraw, to retreat: "tháo lui" refers to the action of leaving a place, situation, or group of people, often to avoid trouble, embarrassment, or further involvement. It implies a strategic or discreet departure from a difficult or uncomfortable circumstance.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Thấy tình hình nguy hiểm, họ quyết định tháo lui. (Seeing the dangerous situation, they decided to withdraw.)
  • Anh ấy cảm thấy ngượng ngùng nên lẳng lặng tháo lui khỏi bữa tiệc. (He felt embarrassed so he quietly retreated from the party.)
  • Quân đội buộc phải tháo lui về vị trí phòng thủ. (The army was forced to retreat to a defensive position.)

Advanced Usage

• "Tháo lui có trật tự": to withdraw in an orderly manner.

  • Sau cuộc đàm phán, hai bên đã tháo lui có trật tự. (After the negotiation, both sides withdrew in an orderly manner.)

• "Tìm đường tháo lui": to find a way to retreat/withdraw (often from an awkward situation).

  • Câu hỏi khó khiến anh ta chỉ muốn tìm đường tháo lui. (The difficult question made him just want to find a way to retreat.)

Variants and Related Words

• Rút lui (verb): to withdraw, to pull back. This is a very close synonym, often used interchangeably in many contexts.

  • Công ty đã rút lui khỏi thị trường. (The company withdrew from the market.)

• Rút quân (verb): to withdraw troops (military context).

  • Lệnh rút quân đã được ban hành. (The order to withdraw troops has been issued.)

Synonyms

• Rút đi: to pull out, to leave.
• Lui bước: to step back, to retreat (can be literal or figurative).
• Bỏ đi: to leave, to go away (more general, can imply abandonment).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As "tháo lui" is a Vietnamese verb, the concept of English phrasal verbs does not apply directly. Instead, here are common verb phrases using "tháo lui". - Quyết định tháo lui: to decide to withdraw. - Họ đã quyết định tháo lui trước khi quá muộn. (They decided to withdraw before it was too late.)

• Buộc phải tháo lui: to be forced to retreat.
  • Đối thủ quá mạnh, đội chúng tôi buộc phải tháo lui. (The opponent was too strong, our team was forced to retreat.)

Related Idioms

• "Dơ tuồng nghỉ mới tìm đường tháo lui" (Classical/Truyện Kiều reference): To only look for a way to retreat/withdraw when one's shameful behavior is exposed. This idiom describes someone who tries to escape only after being embarrassed or caught in a wrong act.
  • Hắn ta như kẻ "dơ tuồng nghỉ mới tìm đường tháo lui". (He is like someone who "only looks for a way to retreat once his shame is exposed".)

verb

1. to withdraw, to retreat