Definition

1. Verb:

   • To go up; to ascend; to rise: To move to a physically higher place or position.
   • To come up; to flow: To move upwards, often used for water levels or celestial bodies.
   • To increase; to rise: To reach a higher level, quantity, price, rank, or grade.
   • To turn (an age): Used for children reaching a certain age, typically under ten.
   • To form; to appear: To develop and become visible on a surface (e.g., a rash, new skin).
   • To prepare; to draft; to wind up: To bring something into a complete, functional, or planned state (e.g., a plan, a list, a spring).

2. Particle (used after a verb or adjective):

   • Indicates upward or forward direction: Shows movement to a higher place or a forward position.
   • Indicates the surface or target of an action: Shows that an action is applied onto the surface of something.
   • Indicates development or change: Shows a progression in state, degree, or intensity from less to more.
   • Expresses encouragement or urging: Used at the end of a phrase to urge or encourage someone.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Mặt trời lên. (The sun rises.)
  • Giá xăng lại lên. (Gas prices have risen again.)
  • Năm nay con lên lớp bốn. (My child is moving up to fourth grade this year.)
  • Chúng tôi cần lên kế hoạch chi tiết. (We need to draft a detailed plan.)
• Particle:
  • Cô ấy đứng lên. (She stands up.)
  • Hãy viết câu trả lời lên bảng. (Please write the answer on the board.)
  • Trời nóng lên mỗi ngày. (The weather gets hotter every day.)
  • Cố lên! (Hang in there! / Try harder!)

Advanced Usage

• "lên đến": to amount to; to reach (a figure or level).
  • Số người tham dự lên đến hàng nghìn. (The number of attendees amounts to thousands.)
• "lên giọng": to raise one's voice (often in a confrontational way).
  • Anh ta lên giọng với nhân viên. (He raised his voice at the employee.)
• "lên cơn": to have a fit/attack (of illness, anger, etc.).
  • Bệnh nhân lên cơn sốt. (The patient had a fever attack.)

Variants and Related Words

• Leo lên (v): to climb up.
  • Đứa trẻ leo lên cây. (The child climbed up the tree.)
• Tăng lên (v): to increase.
  • Dân số tăng lên nhanh chóng. (The population increased rapidly.)
• Nổi lên (v): to emerge; to rise up (e.g., an issue, a trend).
  • Một vấn đề mới nổi lên. (A new issue has emerged.)

Synonyms

• Ascend, rise, climb (for upward movement).
• Increase, advance, promote (for rising in level).
• Mount, board (for getting onto a vehicle).

Related Idioms

• Lên thác xuống ghềnh: To go through ups and downs; to face many hardships and challenges.
  • Cuộc đời họ lên thác xuống ghềnh. (Their life has been full of ups and downs.)
• Lên voi xuống chó: To experience dramatic rises and falls in fortune; from riches to rags.
  • Thương trường đầy rẫy chuyện lên voi xuống chó. (The business world is full of stories of dramatic rises and falls.)
• Lên bờ xuống ruộng: To be intimately involved in practical work (often agricultural); to get one's hands dirty.
  • Muốn hiểu nông dân, phải biết lên bờ xuống ruộng. (To understand farmers, you must get your hands dirty in the fields.)

verb

1. to go up; to come up; to rise
   • leo lên thang
     to go up a ladder to flow; to ascend