tội lệ gì
Definition
- Interjection / Phrase:
- What's the point? / Why bother?: An expression used to rhetorically question the necessity, worth, or logic of doing something, implying that the action is pointless, unnecessary, or not worth the effort.
- What's the crime/sin in that?: A literal interpretation questioning what wrong has been committed, used to defend an action by suggesting it is harmless or justified.
Usage Examples
- Interjection / Phrase:
- Tội lệ gì mà phải vội vàng thế? (What's the point of rushing like that? / Why bother hurrying?)
- Tội lệ gì mà phải đi đêm như thế! (Why bother going at night like that!)
- Cứ nói đi, tội lệ gì đâu. (Just say it, what's the harm? / It's not like it's a crime.)
Advanced Usage
- This phrase is often used in spoken, colloquial Vietnamese to express reluctance, dismissal, or to minimize the perceived seriousness of an action. It carries a tone of persuasion or mild protest.
Variants and Related Words
- Tội gì: A more common and shortened variant with identical meaning and usage.
- Tội gì phải lo lắng. (Why bother worrying.)
Synonyms
- What for?: For what reason or purpose?
- Why bother?: Used to suggest something is not worth the effort.
- What's the harm?: Used to suggest an action is innocuous.
Related Idioms
- While not a direct idiom, the phrase functions idiomatically. Its meaning is derived from the core words: "tội" (crime/sin/fault) and "lệ" (a formal or customary rule), combined with "gì" (what) to create a rhetorical question.