Definition

1. Intransitive Verb:
   • To spread, to enlarge, to extend: Refers to the process by which something (like a liquid, a phenomenon, or an influence) gradually expands its area or scope.
   • To become widespread: Describes something becoming more common or covering a larger area over time.

Usage Examples

• Intransitive Verb:
  • Vết dầu loang đang ăn lan ra khắp mặt nước. (The oil slick is spreading across the water surface.)
  • Tin đồn đó ăn lan rất nhanh trong cộng đồng. (That rumor spread very quickly within the community.)
  • Căn bệnh đã ăn lan sang các vùng lân cận. (The disease has spread to neighboring areas.)

Advanced Usage

• Describing gradual, often uncontrolled expansion: "Ăn lan" often implies a slow, creeping, or pervasive expansion, sometimes with a slightly negative connotation (e.g., stains, fires, negative influences).
  • Sự bất mãn trong đội ngũ nhân viên bắt đầu ăn lan. (Dissatisfaction among the staff began to spread.)
• Used metaphorically for abstract concepts: Commonly used for non-physical things like ideas, emotions, or trends.
  • Phong trào ấy đã ăn lan khắp cả nước. (That movement has spread throughout the country.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lan tràn (verb): To spread rampantly, to overflow. Often used for things spreading aggressively or undesirably (e.g., floods, epidemics).
• Lan rộng (verb): To widen, to broaden. Often has a more neutral or positive connotation than "ăn lan" (e.g., influence, knowledge).
• Phát tán (verb): To disperse, to disseminate. Often used for particles, seeds, or information being actively scattered.

Synonyms

• Lây lan (verb): To spread (especially for diseases, contagiously).
• Mở rộng (verb): To expand, to enlarge (more active and controlled than "ăn lan").

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a single verb, "ăn lan" itself is typically used without accompanying particles to form phrasal verbs. Its meaning is conveyed through context.

Related Idioms

• Như lửa gặp cỏ khô: (Like fire meeting dry grass) - Used to describe something that spreads extremely rapidly, similar to how "ăn lan" can be used.
  • Tin tức ấy lan truyền như lửa gặp cỏ khô. (That news spread like wildfire.)

verb

1. to enlarge; to spread