tệ lậu
Definition
- Adjective:
- Corrupt and backward / Degenerate and outdated: Describes customs, practices, systems, or behaviors that are both morally bad (corrupt, depraved) and socially or culturally outdated, obsolete, or inferior.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Những hủ tục tệ lậu cần được xóa bỏ. (Those corrupt and backward customs need to be abolished.)
- Một chế độ quản lý tệ lậu sẽ kìm hãm sự phát triển. (A degenerate and outdated management regime will hinder development.)
- Hành vi tệ lậu đó không được chấp nhận trong xã hội hiện đại. (That depraved and obsolete behavior is not accepted in modern society.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in formal or literary contexts to critique deep-rooted, systemic social ills. It implies a strong judgment that something is not only bad but also a relic of a worse, unenlightened past.
Word Origin and Notes
- Origin: A Sino-Vietnamese compound word. "Tệ" (弊) means "bad," "evil," or "abuse." "Lậu" (陋) means "coarse," "vulgar," "simple," or "outdated." Combined, they intensify the meaning of something being both morally corrupt and culturally backward.
- Register: This is a formal, somewhat literary term. It is stronger and more specific than simply saying "xấu" (bad).
Synonyms
- Corrupt and obsolete: Emphasizes both moral decay and being out of date.
- Degenerate: Highlights a decline from a former, better state.
- Depraved and backward: Stresses moral corruption combined with a lack of progress.
Antonyms
- Văn minh: civilized, enlightened.
- Tiến bộ: progressive, advanced.
- Tốt đẹp: good and beautiful.