Definition

1. Verb:
   • To confess one's sins: The primary meaning of "xưng tội" is the religious act where a person, typically in the Christian (especially Catholic) tradition, privately admits their sins to a priest in order to receive absolution.
   • To make a confession: It refers to the formal declaration of one's wrongdoings within the sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Người Công giáo thường xưng tội trước lễ Phục Sinh. (Catholics often confess their sins before Easter.)
  • Cô ấy đến nhà thờ để xưng tội với linh mục. (She went to church to confess to the priest.)
  • Trong buổi lễ, anh ấy đã thành tâm xưng tội. (During the service, he sincerely confessed his sins.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is specific to a religious, sacramental context. It is not typically used for secular confessions (e.g., confessing to a crime), for which words like "thú tội" or "nhận tội" are more common.
• "Đi xưng tội": a common phrase meaning "to go to confession."
  • Cả gia đình đi xưng tội vào chiều thứ Bảy. (The whole family goes to confession on Saturday afternoon.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sự xưng tội (n): The confession; the act or instance of confessing.

  • Sự xưng tội của anh ấy rất chân thành. (His confession was very sincere.)

• Phòng xưng tội (n): The confessional; the small booth or room where confession takes place.

  • Cô ấy bước vào phòng xưng tội. (She entered the confessional.)

• Linh mục nghe xưng tội (n): A confessor; the priest who hears the confession.

Synonyms

• Confess: To admit one's sins or faults.
• Make one's confession: To formally declare one's sins.

Related Idioms

• Kinh xưng tội: The Confiteor; a traditional prayer of confession in the Catholic liturgy.
  • Mọi người đọc kinh xưng tội. (Everyone recited the Confiteor.)

verb

1. confess one's sin