tốt bổng

Definition
  1. Adjective (historical, pejorative):
    • Luciative (for an official post): Describes a government position, administrative region, or appointment that provides substantial illicit or unofficial income, typically through corruption, extortion, or the exploitation of the populace.
    • Profitable (for graft): Characterizes a situation or office that is considered "good" or "fat" because it offers ample opportunities for dishonest officials to enrich themselves through side profits and bribes.
Usage Examples
  • Adjective:
    • Chức quan tri huyện đó được coi là tốt bổng. (That district magistrate position was considered a lucrative post.)
    • Dưới chế độ cũ, một số vùng đất tốt bổng thường bị các quan tham tranh nhau. (Under the old regime, some regions known as profitable for graft were often fought over by corrupt officials.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term is almost exclusively used in a historical context to critique the systemic corruption in pre-revolutionary Vietnamese feudal and colonial bureaucracies. It implies a systemic flaw where official positions were valued for personal gain rather than public service.
Variants and Related Words
  • Bổng lộc (n): Official salary and perks; often used in the context of feudal officials' income, which could include both legitimate and illegitimate gains.
  • Tham nhũng (n/v): Corruption; the modern, general term for the abuse of power for private gain.
Synonyms
  • Lucrative (in a corrupt sense): Yielding financial gain through unethical means.
  • Graft-rich: Providing abundant opportunities for corruption.
  • Profitable (for extortion): Generating illegal income from a position of power.
Related Concepts
  • "Địa hạt tốt bổng": A lucrative district or area for exploitation.
  • The term "tốt bổng" is inherently linked to the concept of "tham quan" (corrupt mandarin), describing the desirable target of such a person's ambitions.