hạ mình
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To condescend: To act in a way that shows a feeling of superiority, often by doing something one considers beneath one's dignity or status.
- To demean oneself / To lower oneself: To voluntarily put oneself in a lower, often humiliating, position or to act in a way that compromises one's pride, usually to ask for something or to achieve a goal.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Anh ấy không bao giờ hạ mình nịnh bợ sếp. (He never demeans himself by flattering his boss.)
- Cô ấy phải hạ mình đi vay tiền. (She had to lower herself to borrow money.)
- Ông ấy hạ mình xin lỗi đứa trẻ. (He condescended to apologize to the child.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often implies a significant, conscious sacrifice of pride or social standing. It is frequently used in contexts involving pleading, begging, or submitting to someone one considers inferior.
- It can carry a negative connotation of weakness or loss of face, but can also be viewed positively as an act of humility in certain contexts.
Variants and Related Words
Hạ mình cầu cạnh (verb phrase): To lower oneself to beg or plead for help.
- Bà ta hạ mình cầu cạnh hàng xóm. (She lowered herself to beg her neighbors.)
Hạ mình nài nỉ (verb phrase): To demean oneself by persistently pleading.
- Nó hạ mình nài nỉ tôi cho nó thêm một cơ hội. (He demeaned himself by pleading with me for another chance.)
Synonyms
- Condescend: To do something that one regards as below one's social rank or dignity.
- Debase oneself: To lower in character, quality, or value.
- Stoop: To lower one's moral standards by doing something reprehensible.
- Humiliate oneself: To cause oneself to feel ashamed or foolish.
Related Idioms
- Hạ mình xuống nước: To lower oneself greatly (literally, "to lower oneself to the water level"). Emphasizes the depth of the humiliation or submission.
- Để cứu công ty, ông chủ đã hạ mình xuống nước. (To save the company, the owner lowered himself to the greatest depth.)