Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To serve one right; to get what one deserves: Used to indicate that someone's negative outcome is a direct and deserved consequence of their own foolish or wrongful actions.
   • To be conscious of one's (inferior) position/status; to know one's place: To have a realistic and humble awareness of one's own limitations, social standing, or lack of ability in a given situation.

Usage Examples

• Meaning: To serve one right:

  • Nghịch lửa bị bỏng mới biết thân. (Playing with fire and getting burnt makes you know your place. / It serves him right for playing with fire.)
  • Hắn kiêu ngạo nên bị mọi người xa lánh, thế mới biết thân. (He was arrogant so everyone avoided him; that serves him right.)

• Meaning: To be conscious of one's position:

  • Biết thân đến bước lạc loài. (To be conscious of one's situation to the point of being lost.)
  • Sau thất bại, anh ấy đã biết thân hơn. (After the failure, he became more aware of his limitations.)

Advanced Usage

• Often used as a rhetorical question or a statement of admonishment: "Đã biết thân chưa?" (Have you learned your lesson now? / Do you see what you deserve now?).

  • Mày lười nên thi trượt, đã biết thân chưa? (You failed the exam because you were lazy; have you learned your lesson now?)

• Used to advise humility or caution by implying one should understand their true standing.

  • Cậu nên biết thân mà đừng tranh giành với họ. (You should know your place and not compete with them.)

Variants and Related Words

• Biết điều: To be reasonable, to know what's proper (often implies social tact).
• Tự biết mình: To know oneself (emphasizes self-awareness).
• Hối hận: To regret (focuses on the feeling of remorse, which can be a result of ).

Synonyms

• Chịu hậu quả: To face the consequences (neutral).
• Đáng đời: Serves you right (colloquial, stronger negative judgment).
• Tự nhận thức: Self-awareness (more formal and psychological).

Related Phrases

• Biết thân biết phận: To know one's place and one's lot/duty (an extended idiom emphasizing accepting one's social role and circumstances).
  • Con phải biết thân biết phận. (You must know your place and your duty.)

Related Idioms

• Ăn vụng đổ vạ cho mèo / Ăn trộm chuông bịt tai: Similar to "playing with fire" – engaging in foolish, self-incriminating actions. The phrase can be the expected lesson from such behavior.
• Nếm mùi thất bại: To taste failure (an experience that can lead to ).

1. To serve one right
   • nghịch lửa bị bỏng mới biết thân
     it serves him right playing with the fire and getting burnt
2. To be conscious of one's inferiority