Definition

Verb phrase: - To be cautious about one's reputation; to be mindful of protecting one's good name and avoiding actions that could lead to gossip or a bad reputation. - To be concerned with maintaining one's honor or standing in the eyes of others.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Anh ấy luôn giữ tiếng trong công việc và cuộc sống. (He always is cautious about his reputation in work and life.)
  • Cô ấy rất giữ tiếng, không bao giờ làm điều gì khiến hàng xóm dị nghị. (She is very mindful of her reputation, never doing anything that would make the neighbors gossip.)
  • Là người có địa vị, ông ấy phải giữ tiếng cẩn thận. (As a person of status, he has to be careful about his reputation.)

Advanced Usage

• "giữ tiếng cho...": to protect the reputation of (someone or something).
  • Cô ấy cố gắng giữ tiếng cho gia đình. (She tries to protect the reputation of her family.)

Variants and Related Words

• Giữ gìn (verb): to preserve, to maintain (often used for both tangible and intangible things like reputation, tradition).
  • giữ gìn danh dự (to preserve one's honor)
• Danh tiếng (noun): reputation, fame.
  • có danh tiếng tốt (to have a good reputation)

Synonyms

• Có ý thức giữ gìn danh dự: to be conscious of preserving one's honor.
• Đề phòng tiếng xấu: to guard against a bad reputation.

Related Idioms

• Giữ miếng: This is a different idiom meaning "to save face" or "to maintain one's dignity/position" in a specific situation, often in an argument or competition. It is not a direct synonym for giữ tiếng.
  • Trong cuộc tranh luận, anh ta cố giữ miếng đến cùng. (In the debate, he tried to save face until the end.)

1. Be cautious about one's repulation, be jealous of one's reputation