xá
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To bow with hands joined in a gesture of respect or greeting: This is the primary meaning of "xá". It refers to the traditional Vietnamese gesture of placing the palms together at chest level and bowing the head. It is a sign of deep respect, greeting, or prayer.
- To pardon; to forgive; to exempt: In formal or literary contexts, "xá" means to forgive a sin, pardon a crime, or grant an exemption from a duty or tax.
Usage Examples
- Verb (to bow):
- Các nhà sư chắp tay xá chào. (The monks joined their hands and bowed in greeting.)
- Trước khi vào chùa, bà lão xá ba xá. (Before entering the pagoda, the old woman bowed three times.)
- Verb (to pardon/exempt):
- Nhà vua đã xá tội cho tù nhân. (The king pardoned the prisoner.)
- Làng này được xá thuế trong ba năm. (This village was exempted from taxes for three years.)
Advanced Usage
- "xá tội": to forgive a sin, to pardon a crime.
- Cầu mong trời Phật xá tội. (I pray for heaven and Buddha to forgive my sins.)
- "xá thuế": to exempt from taxes.
- Vùng thiên tai được xá thuế. (The disaster area was granted tax exemption.)
Variants and Related Words
- Xá chào (v): to greet by bowing with hands joined.
- Họ xá chào nhau thay cho bắt tay. (They bowed to greet each other instead of shaking hands.)
- Xá lễ (n/v): a bow of respect; to perform such a bow.
- Cô ấy làm một xá lễ trước bàn thờ. (She performed a bow of respect before the altar.)
Synonyms
- To bow: to bend the head or body in respect.
- To pardon: to forgive or release from penalty.
- To exempt: to free from an obligation or rule.
Related Idioms
- Xá ba xá: to bow three times (a common ritual gesture of deep respect).
- Theo phong tục, con cháu xá ba xá trước bàn thờ tổ tiên. (According to custom, descendants bow three times before the ancestral altar.)
verb
- to salute, bow profoundly