Definition

Verb: - To cheat, to act dishonestly for personal gain: The core meaning of "ăn gian" is to intentionally deceive, break rules, or manipulate a situation unfairly to benefit oneself, especially in games, competitions, or transactions. - To swindle, to defraud: It implies a deliberate act of trickery to gain an advantage or take something that is not rightfully yours.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Nó chơi cờ hay ăn gian. (He often cheats when playing chess.)
  • Không được ăn gian khi làm bài kiểm tra. (You must not cheat on the test.)
  • Cô ấy bị phát hiện ăn gian khi đếm tiền. (She was caught cheating when counting the money.)

Advanced Usage

• "ăn gian tuổi": to lie about one's age, typically to appear younger or older for a benefit.
  • Diễn viên đó ăn gian tuổi để đóng vai thiếu niên. (That actor lied about his age to play a teenager role.)
• The term often carries a strong negative moral judgment, implying a lack of integrity and fairness.

Variants and Related Words

• Gian lận (noun/verb): fraud, dishonesty; to commit fraud. This is a more formal synonym often used in official or serious contexts like "gian lận thi cử" (exam fraud).
• Lừa đảo (verb): to swindle, to con. This emphasizes the deceitful scam aspect, often for financial gain.
• Xảo quyệt (adjective): cunning, crafty. Describes a deceitful nature.

Synonyms

• Cheat: The most direct equivalent, especially in games and tests.
• Swindle: To cheat someone out of money or property.
• Defraud: To illegally obtain money or property by deception.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As "ăn gian" is a Vietnamese verb, it does not have English phrasal verbs. Instead, here are common English phrases for the concept. - To cheat at/in something: To act dishonestly in a specific activity. - He was accused of cheating at cards. - To get away with cheating: To succeed in cheating without being punished. - She thought she could get away with cheating, but the teacher saw her.

Related Idioms

• "Ăn không nói có": Literally "to eat 'no' and say 'yes'", meaning to fabricate stories, to tell lies. This is related as it involves dishonesty.
  • Đừng tin hắn, hắn chuyên ăn không nói có. (Don't believe him, he specializes in telling lies.)
• "Chơi xấu": to play dirty, to use underhanded tactics. This is similar in the context of competition.
  • Đối thủ chơi xấu bằng cách ăn gian. (The opponent played dirty by cheating.)

verb

1. To cheat
   • đánh bạc ăn gian
     to cheat at games