Definition

1. Verb:
   • To constrain oneself: To force oneself to do something or accept a situation that is against one's natural inclination, feelings, or desires. It implies an internal struggle where one's will overrides one's genuine emotions or preferences.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tôi không muốn đi, nhưng cuối cùng phải ép lòng đồng ý. (I didn't want to go, but I finally had to constrain myself and agree.)
  • Thấy con khóc, bà mẹ đau lòng nhưng vẫn ép lòng nghiêm khắc dạy bảo. (Seeing her child cry, the mother's heart ached, but she still constrained herself to teach the child strictly.)
  • Anh ấy phải ép lòng từ chối lời mời vì công việc quá bận. (He had to constrain himself to decline the invitation because he was too busy with work.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often describes a moral or emotional dilemma, where a person acts out of duty, necessity, or for a greater good, despite personal reluctance.
  • Để công ty tồn tại, giám đốc đã ép lòng sa thải một số nhân viên. (For the company to survive, the director constrained himself to lay off some employees.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ép buộc (verb): to compel, to force (often external pressure).
  • Không ai ép buộc anh làm điều đó. (No one forced you to do that.)
• Miễn cưỡng (adjective/adverb): reluctant, reluctantly. This describes the state or manner of doing something unwillingly, which is often the result of "ép lòng."
  • Cô ấy miễn cưỡng nhận lời. (She reluctantly accepted.)

Synonyms

• To force oneself
• To steel oneself
• To bring oneself (to do something)

Related Idioms

• While "ép lòng" is itself a set phrase, it is conceptually related to the idea of "nuốt nước mắt vào trong" (to swallow one's tears), which means to hide one's sadness and carry on.
  • Bà ấy nuốt nước mắt vào trong, ép lòng ra đi. (She swallowed her tears, constrained herself, and left.)

verb

1. to constrain oneself