Definition

1. Noun:
   • Love charm, philtre: A magical object, potion, or spell believed, according to superstition, to have the power to make someone fall in love with the user or caster.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cô ấy tin rằng chiếc bùa yêu sẽ khiến chàng trai đó say mê mình. (She believes the love charm will make that young man infatuated with her.)
  • Theo truyền thuyết, bùa yêu thường được làm từ các loại thảo mộc và lời nguyền. (According to legend, a philtre is often made from herbs and incantations.)
  • Anh ta bị buộc tội sử dụng bùa yêu để mê hoặc con gái của lãnh chúa. (He was accused of using a love-charm to bewitch the lord's daughter.)

Advanced Usage

• Cultural/Superstitious Context: The term is primarily used in contexts discussing folklore, traditional beliefs, superstition, or historical/magical narratives. It implies a lack of scientific basis.
  • Câu chuyện cổ tích thường nhắc đến bùa yêu như một thế lực huyền bí. (Folk tales often mention the philtre as a mysterious force.)
• Metaphorical Use: Rarely, it can be used metaphorically to describe something that has an irresistibly captivating or enchanting effect, similar to a charm.
  • Giọng hát của cô ấy như một thứ bùa yêu với khán giả. (Her singing voice is like a love-charm to the audience.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bùa (n): A general term for an amulet, charm, or talisman, often for protection or luck.
  • bùa hộ mệnh (protective amulet)
• Ngải (n): Often refers to a specific type of love magic or charm in some regional beliefs, sometimes involving herbs.
• Thuốc yêu / Thuốc mê tình (n): Literally "love potion," a more specific term for a potion-type philtre.

Synonyms

• Philtre / Love potion: A drink supposed to cause the drinker to fall in love (common in Western contexts).
• Love spell: A magical incantation intended to provoke love.
• Charm: A more general term for an object believed to bring good luck or have magical effects.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Bùa yêu ăn phải dạ càng ngẩn ngơ: (Proverb) Literally "If one is affected by a love charm, the heart/mind becomes more bewildered." This folk saying comments on the confusing and obsessive nature of love, often likened to the effect of magic. It suggests that love, like a charm, can cloud one's judgment.
  • Anh ấy vì cô ấy mà bỏ bê công việc, đúng là "bùa yêu ăn phải dạ càng ngẩn ngơ". (He neglected his work for her, truly a case of "a heart bewitched by love grows more perplexed.")

1. Philtre, love-charm