Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To become someone's concubine: To formally enter into a marital or cohabiting relationship with a man as a secondary wife or consort, in a historical or cultural context where polygamy was practiced. This term is specific to the act of a woman becoming a "vợ lẽ" (secondary wife).

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Trong xã hội phong kiến, một số gia đình nghèo buộc phải cho con gái đi làm lẽ. (In feudal society, some poor families were forced to let their daughters become concubines.)
  • Bà ấy không muốn làm lẽ cho bất kỳ ai. (She did not want to become anyone's concubine.)
  • Câu chuyện kể về người phụ nữ bất hạnh phải làm lẽ cho một phú ông. (The story tells of an unfortunate woman who had to become a rich man's concubine.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase "làm lẽ" is almost exclusively used in a historical or narrative context, referring to the social practice of concubinage in Vietnam's past, particularly before the mid-20th century. It carries connotations of a lower social and familial status compared to the primary wife ("vợ cả").
• It describes a formalized status, distinct from informal mistresses or lovers.

Variants and Related Words

• Vợ lẽ (n): Concubine; secondary wife. This is the noun form referring to the person in this position.
  • Số phận của những người vợ lẽ thường rất đáng thương. (The fate of concubines was often very pitiful.)
• Lẽ (n): A short, colloquial form for "vợ lẽ".
  • Ông ta có tới ba bốn bà lẽ. (He had three or four concubines.)
• Vợ cả (n): Primary wife; first wife (in a polygamous context).
• Làm vợ hai: A more modern or descriptive phrase meaning "to become a second wife".

Synonyms

• Làm thiếp: To become a concubine. ("Thiếp" is a more literary or ancient term for concubine.)
• Làm vợ bé: (Colloquial, potentially derogatory) To become a "small wife" or secondary wife.

Notes on Meaning and Usage

• Historical Context: The practice and the term "làm lẽ" are largely obsolete in contemporary Vietnamese society, as polygamy is illegal. It is now primarily encountered in historical texts, literature, films, or when discussing the past.
• Cultural Connotation: The term often implies a lack of choice, a lower position, and potential suffering for the woman involved, reflecting the social inequalities of the era. It is not a neutral term.
• Modern Analogy: There is no direct, simple equivalent in modern Western contexts. The closest concept is "to become a concubine," but it specifically refers to a formalized secondary marital role within a historical Vietnamese framework.

1. Become someone's concubine