biết thân
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- 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 ).
- To serve one right
- nghịch lửa bị bỏng mới biết thânit serves him right playing with the fire and getting burnt
- To be conscious of one's inferiority