thụt két
Definition
- Verb (slang):
- To embezzle money; to pilfer from a cash register or cash box: The primary meaning refers to the dishonest act of secretly taking money, typically from a business's cash reserve or till, for personal use.
- To skim funds: It implies a sneaky, often gradual, theft of cash from a controlled fund or shared pool of money.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Nhân viên đó bị bắt vì thụt két. (That employee was arrested for embezzling from the cash register.)
- Anh ta tìm cách thụt két công ty. (He found a way to skim money from the company.)
- Chủ quán nghi ngờ có người thụt két. (The shop owner suspects someone is pilfering from the till.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is informal and carries a strong negative connotation of deceit and breach of trust, often in a commercial or workplace context.
- It often describes theft by someone with direct access to the cash, such as an employee, cashier, or partner.
Variants and Related Words
- Thụt (v, slang): can mean to pilfer or siphon off. "Thụt két" is a more specific compound form.
- Biển thủ (v, formal): to embezzle; a more formal legal or administrative term.
- Ăn cắp (v): to steal; a general term for theft.
Synonyms
- Embezzle: to steal (money) placed in one's trust.
- Pilfer: to steal (things of small value) in small quantities.
- Skim: to conceal or divert (money) for personal gain.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Bòn rút tiền bạc: to gradually misappropriate money; has a similar meaning of slowly draining funds.
- Hắn bòn rút tiền bạc của hợp tác xã. (He gradually misappropriated money from the cooperative.)