Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To lower the blinds/curtains: The literal action of letting down window coverings, such as blinds or curtains.
   • To live in seclusion; to retire from public life: An idiomatic meaning describing a lifestyle choice to withdraw from society, live quietly, and avoid worldly affairs, often for a life of leisure or contemplation.

Usage Examples

• Literal:
  • Trời tối rồi, cô ấy bỏ rèm xuống. (It's dark now, she lowers the blinds.)
• Idiomatic:
  • Sau khi về hưu, ông ấy quyết định bỏ rèm, sống ẩn dật ở quê. (After retiring, he decided to "lower the curtains" and live in seclusion in the countryside.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is classical and literary. It evokes the image of closing off one's home from the outside world as a metaphor for withdrawing from social and public engagements.

Variants and Related Words

• Buông rèm (verb phrase): A direct synonym meaning "to let down the curtains," used with the same literal and figurative meanings.
  • Ông cụ buông rèm, an hưởng tuổi già. (The old man "let down the curtains," peacefully enjoying his old age.)

Synonyms

• To seclude oneself: To keep oneself apart from others.
• To live in retirement: To live a private life after ceasing work.
• To withdraw from the world: To remove oneself from societal activities.

Related Idioms

• Đóng cửa bỏ rèm: To close the door and lower the curtains. An extended idiom emphasizing a complete withdrawal into one's private world.
  • Nhà văn đóng cửa bỏ rèm để tập trung viết sách. (The writer closed the door and "lowered the curtains" to focus on writing his book.)