trả nợ
Definition
- Verb:
- To repay a debt: To give back money that one has borrowed from another person or institution.
- To settle a score / To pay a debt of gratitude (figurative): To fulfill a moral or social obligation, such as returning a favor or atoning for a past action.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Anh ấy làm việc chăm chỉ để trả nợ ngân hàng. (He works hard to repay the bank debt.)
- Cô ấy mời tôi ăn tối để trả nợ lần tôi đã giúp cô. (She bought me dinner to repay the favor for the time I helped her.)
Advanced Usage
- "trả nợ đời": A poetic or philosophical phrase meaning to fulfill one's existential duties or to face the consequences of one's life choices.
- Ông ấy xem việc chăm sóc gia đình như một cách trả nợ đời. (He sees taking care of his family as a way to settle his debt to life.)
Variants and Related Words
Trả hết nợ (v): to pay off a debt completely.
- Cuối cùng tôi cũng trả hết nợ sinh viên. (I finally paid off my student debt.)
Trả nợ xong (v): to be done repaying a debt.
- Cảm giác thật tuyệt khi trả nợ xong. (It feels great to be done repaying the debt.)
Synonyms
- Repay: To pay back money.
- Settle: To pay what is owed.
- Discharge: To fulfill or settle a financial obligation.
Related Idioms
Trả nợ miệng: Literally "to repay a debt with one's mouth"; to show gratitude only with words or promises, without tangible action.
- Đừng chỉ trả nợ miệng, hãy thể hiện bằng hành động. (Don't just pay a debt with words, show it with actions.)
Trả nợ như chúa chổm: To be perpetually in debt; based on a historical anecdote about a king constantly in debt.
- Công ty đó trả nợ như chúa chổm, luôn luôn thiếu tiền. (That company is constantly in debt, always short of money.)