có gan
Definition
- Adjective (idiomatic):
- To have courage; to be brave; to be daring: Describes a person who possesses the boldness or audacity to do something difficult, risky, or unconventional. It implies a strong will and lack of fear in the face of potential consequences.
- To have the nerve; to be cheeky: Can also describe someone who acts with presumptuous or disrespectful boldness, often surprising others with their audacity.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Nó có gan nói chuyện đó với sếp. (He had the nerve to talk about that with the boss.)
- Chỉ có cô ấy có gan đi một mình trong đêm. (Only she is brave enough to go alone at night.)
- Cậu ấy thật có gan khi thử món ăn lạ đó. (He was really daring to try that strange food.)
Advanced Usage
- This phrase is often used in exclamations to express admiration for someone's bravery or shock at their audacity.
- Có gan thật! (How daring!/What nerve!)
Variants and Related Words
Gan dạ (adj): brave, courageous, valiant. This is a more formal and purely positive synonym.
- Cô ấy là một chiến sĩ gan dạ. (She is a valiant soldier.)
To gan (v, archaic/formal): to dare, to have the temerity.
- Không ai to gan phản đối ông ấy. (No one dared to oppose him.)
Synonyms
- Brave: showing no fear of dangerous or difficult things.
- Daring: adventurous or audaciously bold.
- Audacious: showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.
- To have the nerve: (often negative) to have the impudence or audacity to do something.
Related Idioms
Có gan làm, có gan chịu: Literally "If you have the guts to do it, have the guts to take responsibility." Equivalent to "You made your bed, now lie in it."
- Anh đã quyết định, hãy nhớ 'có gan làm, có gan chịu'. (You made the decision, remember 'if you dare to do it, you must dare to face the consequences'.)
Trơ gan cùng tuế nguyệt: An idiomatic literary phrase meaning to be thick-skinned or shamelessly persistent over time.