vu cáo
Definition
- Verb:
- To falsely accuse / to slander: The act of making a false statement or accusation against someone with the intention of damaging their reputation or causing them harm. It implies malicious intent and the fabrication of claims.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Hắn vu cáo đồng nghiệp để giành lấy vị trí. (He falsely accused his colleague to take the position.)
- Bị vu cáo là tham nhũng, ông ấy đã kiện ra tòa. (Falsely accused of corruption, he sued.)
- Đừng vu cáo người khác mà không có bằng chứng. (Do not slander others without evidence.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in legal, formal, or serious contexts to describe defamation, libel, or the act of bringing false charges.
- It carries a strong negative connotation of deliberate deceit and moral wrongdoing.
Variants and Related Words
- Vu khống (v): to slander, to defame. A very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "vu cáo."
- Bài báo đó vu khống cả một tập thể. (That article defamed an entire organization.)
- Buộc tội (v): to accuse, to charge. This is a more general term for making an accusation, which may or may not be false.
- Công tố viên buộc tội bị can. (The prosecutor charged the defendant.)
Synonyms
- To slander: To make false and damaging statements about someone.
- To defame: To damage the good reputation of someone through false statements.
- To frame: To fabricate evidence to make an innocent person appear guilty.
Related Idioms
- Vu cáo người khác là tự hại mình: To falsely accuse others is to harm oneself. This idiom warns that the act of false accusation will ultimately backfire on the accuser.
- Anh ta vu cáo đối thủ, cuối cùng lại bị phát hiện. Đúng là vu cáo người khác là tự hại mình. (He falsely accused his rival, but was eventually exposed. It's true that to falsely accuse others is to harm oneself.)