để lòng
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To bear a grudge; to hold something against someone; to keep something in one's heart/mind: To remember and feel resentment or anger about a past offense or hurtful action, often without immediately showing it. It implies harboring negative feelings over time.
- To take something to heart; to be deeply affected/concerned: To be seriously and lastingly affected by something, often a remark or event, causing worry, sadness, or offense.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Anh ấy chỉ nói vậy thôi, đừng để lòng. (He just said it without thinking, don't take it to heart.)
- Cô ấy để lòng chuyện hôm qua và không muốn nói chuyện với tôi nữa. (She is holding a grudge about yesterday and doesn't want to talk to me anymore.)
- Tôi biết lỗi rồi, mong anh đừng để lòng. (I know I was wrong, I hope you won't hold it against me.)
Advanced Usage
- "để lòng để dạ": This is a reinforced form, emphasizing that the feeling is kept deeply within one's heart and mind ( means stomach, often associated with feelings in Vietnamese). It stresses the depth and seriousness of the harbored feeling.
- Chuyện nhỏ thôi, sao phải để lòng để dạ mãi? (It was a small matter, why do you have to keep holding onto it?)
Variants and Related Words
- Để bụng (verb phrase): A very common synonym, literally "to keep in one's stomach." It is often used interchangeably with and carries the same meanings of bearing a grudge or taking something to heart.
- Anh ta hay để bụng những lời nói đùa. (He often takes jokes to heart.)
Synonyms
- Hận thù (verb/noun): to hate, to resent; hatred, resentment. (This is stronger and more intense than ).
- Ác cảm (noun): antipathy, ill feeling. (Refers to the feeling itself).
- Ghim (verb, colloquial): to pin/keep (a grudge). (Modern, slang usage).
Related Phrases
- Để tâm (verb phrase): To pay attention to, to mind, to take notice of. This can be neutral or positive, unlike which is typically negative.
- Cảm ơn bạn đã để tâm đến vấn đề của tôi. (Thank you for paying attention to my problem.)
Related Idioms
- Trả thù (verb phrase): To take revenge, to retaliate. This is the potential action resulting from .
- Hắn để lòng và tìm cách trả thù. (He bore a grudge and sought revenge.)
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như để bụng
