lạy lục
Definition
- Verb:
- To beg or beseech someone repeatedly and humbly, often while kneeling or bowing excessively. This action implies a desperate, submissive, and persistent plea for help, forgiveness, or a favor.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Anh ta lạy lục xin chủ nợ gia hạn. (He begged and pleaded with the creditor for an extension.)
- Cô ấy lạy lục van xin tòa án tha tội cho con trai. (She prostrated herself, beseeching the court to pardon her son.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "lạy lục" strongly connotes a loss of dignity or extreme self-abasement in the act of pleading. It is not used for simple, polite requests.
Variants and Related Words
Lạy (v): to bow deeply or prostrate oneself, often in worship or deep respect.
- Các Phật tử lạy trước tượng Phật. (The Buddhists bow before the Buddha statue.)
Van lạy (v): to beg while bowing or prostrating; a synonym emphasizing the physical act of bowing.
- Nó van lạy mẹ cho đi chơi. (He begged his mother, bowing, to let him go out.)
Synonyms
- Beseech: to ask urgently and fervently.
- Implore: to beg desperately.
- Supplicate: to make a humble, earnest plea.
Related Idioms
- Lạy ông tôi ở bụi này: A humorous or sarcastic exclamation of surprise or frustration (literally, "I bow to you, my ancestor in this bush").
- Lạy ông tôi ở bụi này, sao mà rắc rối thế! (Good heavens, why is this so complicated!)