đút tiền
Definition
- Verb (transitive):
- To bribe: The primary meaning of "đút tiền" is to give money or something of value to someone, often a person in a position of power or authority, to influence their actions or decisions dishonestly.
- To slip money: It can literally mean to hand over money discreetly or secretly.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Hắn đút tiền cho cảnh sát để tránh bị phạt. (He bribed the police officer to avoid a fine.)
- Muốn việc được thông qua nhanh, anh ta phải đút tiền. (To get the approval quickly, he had to pay a bribe.)
- Cô ấy đút tiền vào túi áo anh ấy mà không ai nhìn thấy. (She slipped money into his pocket without anyone seeing.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is strongly associated with corruption and illicit transactions. It implies a covert or underhanded action to gain an unfair advantage or to circumvent rules or laws.
Variants and Related Words
Hối lộ (v): to bribe. This is a more formal synonym often used in legal contexts.
- Công ty bị cáo buộc hối lộ quan chức. (The company was accused of bribing officials.)
Đút lót (v): to bribe, to grease someone's palm. This is a close synonym with the same negative connotation.
- Thủ tục đó đòi hỏi phải đút lót nhiều. (That procedure requires a lot of greasing of palms.)
Synonyms
- Bribe: to persuade someone to act in one's favor by a gift of money or other inducement.
- Grease someone's palm: (idiomatic) to bribe someone.
- Pay off: to bribe someone.
Related Idioms
- Đút tiền trước mặt mũi: to bribe someone brazenly or openly.
- Hành động đút tiền trước mặt mũi đó thật là trắng trợn. (The act of bribing so openly was truly brazen.)