gian tình
Definition
- Noun:
- Adulterous affair; illicit love: A secret, romantic, or sexual relationship that violates social or marital norms, typically involving infidelity.
- Deceitful love; treacherous affection: A feeling of love or a relationship built on dishonesty, betrayal, or hidden malicious intent.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Hai người đó đã có một gian tình kéo dài nhiều năm. (Those two had an adulterous affair that lasted for many years.)
- Cô ấy đau khổ khi phát hiện ra gian tình của chồng mình. (She was heartbroken when she discovered her husband's illicit love affair.)
- Đó không phải tình yêu chân thành mà là một gian tình đầy toan tính. (That was not sincere love but a deceitful love full of calculation.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in literary, dramatic, or moralistic contexts to describe relationships that are socially condemned or emotionally destructive due to their secretive and unfaithful nature.
Variants and Related Words
- Ngoại tình (n): Adultery, extramarital affair. This is a more direct and common legal/social term for marital infidelity.
- Hành vi ngoại tình có thể là căn cứ để ly dị. (Adulterous behavior can be grounds for divorce.)
- Phản bội (v/n): To betray; betrayal. A broader term for treachery, which can encompass emotional betrayal in a relationship.
- Anh ta phản bội lòng tin của vợ. (He betrayed his wife's trust.)
Synonyms
- Illicit affair: A secret and socially unacceptable romantic relationship.
- Adultery: Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone who is not their spouse.
- Infidelity: The action or state of being unfaithful to a spouse or partner.
Related Idioms
- Gian dối trong tình cảm: To be deceitful in matters of the heart. This is a descriptive phrase rather than a fixed idiom, capturing the core meaning of "gian tình."
- Anh ta chuyên gian dối trong tình cảm. (He specializes in being deceitful in matters of the heart.)