Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To be ashamed of one's own condition or situation: To feel deep shame, embarrassment, or humiliation regarding one's personal circumstances, social standing, or state of being.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Anh ấy cảm thấy hổ thân vì hoàn cảnh nghèo khó của mình. (He feels ashamed of his condition because of his impoverished circumstances.)
  • Cô ấy không bao giờ hổ thân về xuất thân của mình. (She is never ashamed of her background.)
  • Sự thất bại khiến ông ta hổ thân. (The failure made him deeply ashamed of himself.)

Advanced Usage

• "hổ thân" vs. "hổ": While "hổ" can mean to be ashamed in a general sense (e.g., - ashamed in front of friends), "hổ thân" specifically emphasizes shame directed inward, pertaining to one's own self, identity, or inherent condition.
• Implied Social Context: The phrase often carries a connotation related to social status, family background, or personal failures that are perceived to reflect poorly on one's self-worth.

Variants and Related Words

• Hổ (verb): To be ashamed, to feel shame.
  • Tôi hổ vì đã nói dối. (I am ashamed because I lied.)
• Xấu hổ (adjective/verb): To be/feel embarrassed, ashamed. This is a more common and general synonym.
  • Cậu bé xấu hổ khi bị la. (The boy was embarrassed when he was scolded.)
• Mặc cảm (noun/verb): Inferiority complex; to have a sense of inferiority. This relates to a persistent feeling but is not a direct synonym.
  • Anh ấy có mặc cảm về ngoại hình. (He has an inferiority complex about his appearance.)

Synonyms

• Be ashamed of oneself: Cảm thấy xấu hổ về bản thân.
• Feel humiliated by one's situation: Cảm thấy bị làm nhục bởi hoàn cảnh của mình.

Related Idioms

• Hổ phận: To be ashamed of one's lot or fate. This is a closely related phrase focusing on shame about one's destined role or position.
  • Bà ta không bao giờ hổ phận làm công việc chân tay. (She is never ashamed of her lot doing manual labor.)
• Thẹn thùng: To be shy, bashful. This refers to a mild, often temporary, social embarrassment, not the deep shame of "hổ thân".

1. Be ashamed of one's condition