lên cân
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To gain weight: To increase in body mass, often as a result of improved health, increased food intake, or reduced physical activity.
- To put on weight: A common expression meaning the same as "to gain weight."
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Sau kỳ nghỉ, tôi đã lên cân. (After the holiday, I gained weight.)
- Ăn uống điều độ giúp trẻ lên cân đều đặn. (A balanced diet helps children put on weight steadily.)
- Cô ấy rất vui vì cuối cùng đã lên cân được. (She is very happy because she finally managed to gain some weight.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often carries a neutral or positive connotation in Vietnamese, particularly when referring to someone who was underweight and is becoming healthier. It can be used less positively in other general contexts.
- It is typically used intransitively (e.g., "Tôi lên cân") and does not take a direct object for the weight amount. To specify the amount, a phrase like "" (gained a little weight) or "" (gained 2 kilograms) is used.
Variants and Related Words
Tăng cân (verb phrase): A more formal or direct synonym for "lên cân," meaning "to increase in weight."
- Bệnh nhân bắt đầu tăng cân trở lại. (The patient began to gain weight again.)
Béo lên (verb phrase): To become fatter. This has a more direct and sometimes negative connotation than "lên cân."
- Anh ta đã béo lên trông thấy. (He has visibly gotten fatter.)
Synonyms
- Gain weight: The most direct equivalent.
- Put on weight: A common informal equivalent.
- Bulk up: Often used in a fitness context to mean gaining muscle mass.
Antonyms
- Xuống cân (verb phrase): To lose weight.
- Cô ấy tập thể dục để xuống cân. (She exercises to lose weight.)
- Sụt cân (verb phrase): To drop weight, often due to illness.
- Ôm bệnh khiến anh ấy sụt cân. (The illness caused him to lose weight.)
Related Idioms and Expressions
- Ăn cho lên cân: To eat in order to gain weight.
- Mẹ bảo tôi phải ăn cho lên cân. (My mother told me I must eat to put on weight.)