làm ơn
Definition
- Verb:
- To do a favor, to help: To perform an action that benefits another person.
- To be so kind as to, please: A polite word inserted into a sentence when requesting someone to do something.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Anh làm ơn giúp tôi một tay. (Could you please help me?)
- Làm ơn cho tôi hỏi đường. (Excuse me, could you please tell me the way?)
- Cô ấy đã làm ơn cho tôi rất nhiều. (She has done me many favors.)
Advanced Usage
- "Làm ơn mắc oán" / "Làm ơn nên oán": An idiom meaning "to do a good deed but receive resentment in return" or "to be repaid with ingratitude." It describes a situation where a kindness is met with hostility or blame.
- Tôi giúp anh ta nhưng anh ta lại nói xấu tôi, đúng là làm ơn mắc oán. (I helped him, but he spoke ill of me; it's a classic case of no good deed going unpunished.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ơn (n): Favor, grace, kindness.
- Mang ơn: To be indebted, to owe a favor.
- Làm phúc (v): To do a good deed, to perform a charitable act (similar in meaning but can imply a more general act of charity, not always a direct personal favor).
Synonyms
- Giúp đỡ: To help, to assist.
- Giúp một tay: To lend a hand.
- Vui lòng: Please (often used in written requests or formal signs, e.g., - "Please be quiet").
Related Phrases
- Làm ơn làm phước: A more emphatic or pleading phrase meaning "please, for goodness' sake" or "as a great favor."
- Làm ơn làm phước chỉ giùm đường đến bệnh viện. (Please, I beg you, show me the way to the hospital.)
Notes on Usage
- "Làm ơn" is primarily used as a polite introductory phrase for requests. It is more personal and direct than "vui lòng".
- When used in the sense of "doing a favor" (definition 1), it often appears in past tense constructions (e.g., ).
- The phrase "Làm ơn" by itself can function as a standalone exclamation meaning "Please!" or "Excuse me!" to get someone's attention politely before making a request.