Definition

1. Adverb/Conjunction:
   • As if, as though: Used to express a comparison or hypothetical situation, indicating that something is perceived or described in a way that resembles another situation, often when the speaker knows or believes the comparison is not literally true.

Usage Examples

• Adverb/Conjunction:
  • Anh ấy nói cầm bằng anh ta biết hết mọi chuyện. (He talks as if he knows everything.)
  • Cô ấy im lặng, cầm bằng không nghe thấy câu hỏi. (She remained silent, as though she didn't hear the question.)
  • Nó chạy đi cầm bằng có ma đuổi. (He ran away as if a ghost were chasing him.)

Advanced Usage

• "cầm bằng như": This is a common reinforced form, also meaning "as if".
  • Cô ấy cười, cầm bằng như chuyện đó chẳng là gì. (She laughed, as if that matter were nothing.)
• Used to introduce a clause describing an unreal or unlikely comparison, often conveying irony, surprise, or strong emotion about the main action.

Variants and Related Words

• Như thể: As if, as though. A more common and neutral synonym.
• Tựa như: Similar to, as if. Often used in literary contexts.
• Y như: Just like, exactly as. Emphasizes a closer resemblance.

Synonyms

• Như là: As if.
• Hễ như: As if (less common).

Notes on Usage

• Cầm bằng is a literary and somewhat old-fashioned conjunction. It is more commonly found in classic literature, proverbs (ca dao), and formal or poetic speech than in everyday modern conversation.
• It functions to link a main clause with a subordinate clause of manner/comparison.
• The reference example from the Vietnamese-French dictionary illustrates its classic usage: (As if it were a child flying a kite with a broken string).

1. As if