Definition

1. Noun:
   • The outer leaf: The decorative leaf used to wrap the outside of a traditional cake, such as a sticky rice cake, primarily for an attractive appearance.
   • Figurative: False front / deceptive facade: A hypocritical or deceitful outward appearance that conceals one's true nature or intentions.

Usage Examples

• Noun (literal):
  • Bánh chưng được gói bằng lá dong, lá mặt phải thật đẹp. (Sticky rice cake is wrapped with dong leaves; the outer leaf must be very beautiful.)
• Noun (figurative):
  • Đừng tin vào lá mặt của hắn, bên trong toàn là mưu mô. (Don't trust his false front; inside, it's all schemes.)
  • Con người lá mặt lá trái khó lường. (A person with a deceptive facade is unpredictable.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in contrast with "lá trái" (the inner leaf), creating the idiom "lá mặt lá trái" to describe two-facedness or duplicity.

Variants and Related Words

• Lá trái (n): The inner leaf. Figuratively, one's true, hidden self or private face.
• Lá dong (n): Dong leaf, a common type of leaf used as "lá mặt" for wrapping traditional cakes.

Synonyms

• Facade: A deceptive outward appearance.
• Pretense: An attempt to make something false appear true.
• False front: A misleading exterior.

Related Idioms

• Lá mặt lá trái: To be two-faced; to show one favorable face to the world while hiding another, truer nature.
  • Anh ta sống kiểu lá mặt lá trái, chẳng ai tin được. (He lives a two-faced life; no one can trust him.)
• Ăn ở lá mặt: To live hypocritically; to behave in a deceitful manner.
  • Kẻ ăn ở lá mặt sớm muộn cũng bị lộ. (Those who live hypocritically will eventually be exposed.)