Definition

1. Verb:
   • To embezzle; to misappropriate funds through one's position: To illegally take money or assets, especially public funds or money from a group, for personal use.
   • To exploit; to squeeze money from someone: To use one's power or position to extract money from others, often through corrupt or oppressive means.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Những kẻ tham nhũng đã đục khoét ngân sách nhà nước. (The corrupt individuals embezzled the state budget.)
  • Tên quan tham ấy chuyên đục khoét của dân. (That corrupt official specialized in squeezing money from the people.)

Advanced Usage

• "đục khoét công quỹ": to embezzle public funds.

  • Hắn bị bắt vì tội đục khoét công quỹ. (He was arrested for the crime of embezzling public funds.)

• "đục khoét tài sản chung": to misappropriate common/shared assets.

  • Ban quản lý bị tố cáo đục khoét tài sản chung của cư dân. (The management board was accused of misappropriating the residents' common assets.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tham nhũng (n, v): corruption; to be corrupt. (A broader term encompassing bribery and abuse of power.)
• Biển thủ (v): to embezzle; to peculate. (Often used in legal contexts, similar to "đục khoét" but can imply direct theft of entrusted funds.)
• Vơ vét (v): to grab; to amass (wealth, resources) greedily and unscrupulously.

Synonyms

• Bòn rút: to pilfer; to siphon off (money, resources) gradually and stealthily.
• Chiếm đoạt: to usurp; to seize (assets, rights) illegally.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a verb, "đục khoét" is typically used as a single unit and does not commonly form phrasal verbs with other particles in modern Vietnamese.

Related Idioms

• "Đục nước béo cò": Literally "to muddy the water to fatten the heron". Figuratively means to create chaos or confusion in order to profit from the situation. This idiom shares the thematic connection of profiting through unethical or harmful actions.
  • Bọn đầu cơ tích trữ gạo là kiểu đục nước béo cò. (The rice hoarders and speculators are the type who "muddy the water to fatten the heron.")

1. Squeeze money from,squeeze
   • Quan lại đục khoét dân
     The mandarins squeezed the people