Definition

1. Verb:
   • To dress, to wear clothes: The primary meaning refers to the act of putting on clothes or the general state of being clothed. It describes how a person is attired.
   • To be dressed in a certain way: It can describe the style, neatness, or quality of one's clothing.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cô ấy ăn mặc rất thanh lịch. (She dresses very elegantly.)
  • Hôm nay anh ấy ăn mặc rất chỉnh tề để đi phỏng vấn. (Today he is dressed very neatly for the interview.)
  • Trẻ con nên học cách tự ăn mặc. (Children should learn how to dress themselves.)

Advanced Usage

• "ăn mặc gọn gàng": to dress neatly/tidily.

  • Nhân viên văn phòng cần ăn mặc gọn gàng. (Office workers need to dress neatly.)

• "ăn mặc lôi thôi": to dress sloppily/untidily.

  • Cậu không thể ăn mặc lôi thôi như thế đến trường được. (You can't dress so sloppily to school like that.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mặc (verb): to wear, to put on (clothes). A core component of "ăn mặc".

  • Cô ấy mặc một chiếc váy đỏ. (She is wearing a red dress.)

• Trang phục (noun): attire, costume, clothing. Refers to the clothes themselves.

  • Trang phục truyền thống của Việt Nam là áo dài. (The traditional attire of Vietnam is the áo dài.)

Synonyms

• Mặc quần áo: to put on/wear clothes. A more literal synonym.
• Diện đồ (colloquial): to dress up, to wear (often implying stylishness).

Related Phrases

• Chuyện ăn mặc: matters/conversation about dressing/clothing.
  • Chúng tôi nói chuyện về chuyện ăn mặc. (We talked about clothing matters.)

Related Idioms

• Ăn chắc mặc bền: (Lit: To eat solid food, to wear durable clothes). An idiom emphasizing practicality, durability, and a no-frills approach to life's necessities like food and clothing.
  • Ông ấy theo triết lý sống ăn chắc mặc bền. (He follows the practical and durable living philosophy.)

verb

1. To dress
   • ăn mặc gọn gàng
     to dress neatly
   • ăn chắc mặc bền
     To eat stodgy food, to wear hard-wearing clothing; solidity first