đã trót
Definition
- Adverb (often used with a verb):
- To have already done (something, often inadvertently or irrevocably): Indicates that an action has been initiated or completed, usually with a sense that it was done carelessly, by mistake, or without full forethought, and now cannot be easily undone. It carries connotations of "already gone and done it" or "having crossed a point of no return."
Usage Examples
- Adverb + Verb:
- Tôi đã trót hứa giúp họ rồi. (I have already (gone and) promised to help them.)
- Nó đã trót ăn hết bánh. (He/she already (carelessly) ate all the cake.)
- Chúng ta đã trót đến đây thì nên vào xem. (Since we've already come this far, we should go in and see.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase "đã trót... thì..." is a common construction meaning "since (we/I/they) have already (done X)... then..." It is used to justify a subsequent action based on the irreversible first action.
- Đã trót mua vé thì phải đi xem. (Since we've already bought the tickets, we have to go see the show.)
- Đã trót nói dối thì phải nói dối đến cùng. (Since you've already lied, you have to stick with the lie.)
Variants and Related Words
- Trót (v, adv): To do inadvertently; to have done (something unwise or irreversible). Often used similarly to "đã trót" but can be more concise.
- Trót lỡ (v): A near-synonymous compound emphasizing a mistake or a regrettable action that has been committed.
- Anh ấy trót lỡ yêu cô ta. (He had the misfortune of falling in love with her.)
Synonyms
- To have already (gone and) done something: Emphasizes the completed and often rash nature of the act.
- To have inadvertently committed: Stresses the accidental or unthinking aspect.
- To be past the point of no return: Emphasizes the irreversibility.
Related Idioms
- Trót dại: To have foolishly done something.
- Nó trót dại nghe lời bạn xấu. (He foolishly listened to bad friends.)
- Trót đâm lao thì phải theo lao: An idiom meaning "having thrust the spear, one must follow it." Equivalent to "in for a penny, in for a pound" or "having started, one must see it through." It directly relates to the irrevocable commitment implied by "đã trót."