chuộc

Friendly

The Vietnamese word "chuộc" is a verb that primarily means to redeem or to ransom. It is used in various contexts, often involving the idea of recovering something or someone by paying a price or fulfilling a condition.

Basic Usage:

1. To redeem: This can refer to paying off debts, recovering property, or restoring one’s honor.

   • Example: "chuộc đám ruộng cầm cố cho địa chủ" means "to redeem a plot of land mortgaged to a landlord." Here, it refers to paying the landlord to get back the land.

2. To ransom: This typically involves paying money to free someone who has been captured.

   • Example: "chuộc một người bị bắt cóc" means "to ransom a kidnapped person." In this case, it means paying a sum to secure the release of someone who has been abducted.

3. To redeem oneself: This can also mean to make up for a past mistake or to prove oneself after doing something wrong.

   • Example: "lập công chuộc tội" translates to "to accomplish a distinguished service and redeem one's offense," meaning to perform a good deed that compensates for previous wrongdoings.

Advanced Usage:

• "Chuộc" can imply a moral or ethical dimension when referring to redeeming oneself or one's reputation.
• It can be used in various idiomatic expressions that convey the idea of reclaiming or recovering something valuable.

Word Variants:

• Chuộc lại: This phrase means "to redeem back" or "to reclaim."
• Chuộc nợ: This means "to pay off a debt" or "to redeem a debt."

Different Meanings:

While "chuộc" mainly focuses on the idea of redemption or ransom, in some contexts, it can imply the act of recovering lost value, whether it be monetary, property, or personal reputation.

Synonyms:

• Cứu: This means "to save," which can be used in similar contexts, especially when referring to rescuing someone.
• Phục hồi: This means "to restore," often used in terms of recovering something that was lost.

Summary:

"Chuộc" is a versatile verb in Vietnamese that encompasses the concepts of redemption, ransom, and recovery.

Academic

verb

1. To redeem, to ransom
   • chuộc đám ruộng cầm cố cho địa chủ
     to redeem a plot of land mortgaged to a landlord
   • chuộc một người bị bắt cóc
     to ransom (to redeem, to pay a ransom for) a kidnapped person
   • lập công chuộc tội
     to accomplish a distinguished service and redeem one's offence