vỗ nợ
Definition
- Verb (obsolete/financial):
- To settle a debt, to pay off a debt in full: An archaic term referring to the complete repayment or clearing of a loan or financial obligation. It implies a final and conclusive action to extinguish a debt.
- To call in a debt, to demand repayment: From the creditor's perspective, it can mean to take action to recover the money that is owed.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Ông ấy đã vỗ nợ cho ngân hàng. (He settled his debt with the bank.)
- Chủ nợ đến tận nhà để vỗ nợ. (The creditor came to the house to demand repayment of the debt.)
Advanced Usage
- This term is largely historical or literary in modern Vietnamese. In contemporary financial or legal language, terms like "thanh toán nợ" (to pay debt) or "đòi nợ" (to collect debt) are more commonly used.
Variants and Related Words
- Vỗ (v): In this context, it carries the sense of "to settle," "to conclude," or "to slap/finish off." It is not used in modern standalone speech with this meaning.
- Trả nợ (v): to repay a debt (common modern term).
- Đòi nợ (v): to demand debt repayment, to collect a debt.
- Thanh toán nợ (v): to settle a debt (formal).
Synonyms
- Settle a debt: To pay what is owed completely.
- Clear a debt: To eliminate a debt by full payment.
- Discharge a debt: To fulfill a financial obligation, making it null.
Notes on Usage
- "vỗ nợ" is an archaic compound verb. The reference "xem vỗ" (see "vỗ") indicates its meaning is derived from the older, figurative use of "vỗ" meaning to conclude or finish something decisively, akin to giving a final slap or pat to end it.
- It is rarely used in everyday modern conversation. Learners are advised to use the more common terms listed in "Variants and Related Words."