vu vạ
Definition
- Verb:
- To falsely accuse / to slander: The primary meaning of "vu vạ" is to make a false and malicious statement about someone, intending to damage their reputation or get them into trouble. It involves fabricating a fault or wrongdoing.
- To calumniate / to defame: It carries the strong connotation of spreading untrue and harmful allegations.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Không có bằng chứng, anh ta không được vu vạ người khác. (Without evidence, he must not falsely accuse others.)
- Bà ấy bị vu vạ là ăn cắp. (She was slandered as a thief.)
- Hành động vu vạ có thể bị kiện ra tòa. (The act of defamation can be taken to court.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in legal and serious social contexts to describe a deliberate, wrongful act of accusation. It implies a degree of malice and intent to harm.
Variants and Related Words
Vu cáo (v): to falsely accuse, to frame. This is a stronger, more formal synonym often used in legal terminology.
- Vu cáo là một tội hình sự. (False accusation is a criminal offense.)
Vu khống (v): to slander, to libel. Similar to "vu vạ," emphasizing the spreading of falsehoods.
- Bài báo đó vu khống công ty chúng tôi. (That article libeled our company.)
Synonyms
- Slander: to make a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation.
- Defame: to damage the good reputation of someone.
- Malign: to speak about someone in a spitefully critical manner.
Related Idioms
- Vu oan giá họa: to inflict a false calamity upon someone; to frame someone with a serious, fabricated crime. This idiom intensifies the meaning of "vu vạ" by implying the false accusation leads to severe consequences.
- Hắn ta tìm cách vu oan giá họa cho đối thủ. (He sought ways to frame his opponent with a grave false charge.)