Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To take a wrong step: To make a misstep or go the wrong way, often literally by taking an incorrect path or turning.
   • To make a misstep / to err (figurative): To find oneself in an unfavorable, difficult, or regrettable situation due to a mistake or lapse in judgment, often with moral or social consequences.

Usage Examples

• Literal:
  • Trong rừng tối, chúng tôi đã lỡ bước và bị lạc. (In the dark forest, we took a wrong step and got lost.)
• Figurative:
  • Cô ấy lỡ bước sa vào con đường nghiện ngập. (She made a misstep and fell into the path of addiction.)
  • Anh ấy than thở rằng mình đã lỡ bước trong chuyện tình cảm. (He lamented that he had erred in his romantic relationship.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is often used to describe a single, pivotal mistake that leads to a series of negative consequences, implying a sense of accident or misfortune rather than deliberate wrongdoing.
• It carries a tone of regret and is frequently used in narratives or reflections on past actions.

Variants and Related Words

• Lỡ lầm (v): to make a mistake, to err. A more general term for error.
  • Chúng ta ai cũng có thể lỡ lầm. (Anyone can make a mistake.)
• Sai bước (v): to make a false step. Similar in literal meaning but less common in figurative use.

Synonyms

• To slip up: to make a minor or careless mistake.
• To go astray: to deviate from the correct path or proper behavior.
• To err: to make an error in judgment.

Related Idioms

• Lỡ bước chân sa: An intensified form, emphasizing the fall into a bad situation.
  • Tuổi trẻ bồng bột, anh ấy lỡ bước chân sa. (In impulsive youth, he made a misstep and fell.)
• Lỡ làng: While not directly containing "bước," this idiom shares the root "lỡ" and means a failed or broken agreement/promise, relating to the concept of a misstep in plans.
  • Công việc đang tiến triển thì bị lỡ làng. (The work was progressing but then fell through.)