lộn sòng
Definition
- Verb:
- To cheat (in gambling): The primary meaning of "lộn sòng" is to engage in dishonest practices, such as swapping cards or manipulating dice, to gain an unfair advantage in a gambling game.
- To swindle / to defraud: More broadly, it can describe any act of deception or fraud, especially in a transactional or competitive context where rules are secretly broken.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Tên đó bị bắt vì lộn sòng trong trận bài. (That guy was caught cheating in the card game.)
- Họ nghi ngờ đối thủ lộn sòng để thắng độ. (They suspect the opponent swindled to win the bet.)
Advanced Usage
- The term originates from gambling contexts ("sòng" meaning gambling den) but is now used metaphorically in business or sports to describe underhanded tactics.
- Công ty đó bị tố cáo lộn sòng trong đấu thầu. (That company was accused of fraud in the bidding process.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ăn gian (v): to cheat, to be dishonest. This is a more general synonym.
- Học sinh đó ăn gian trong kỳ thi. (That student cheated on the exam.)
Synonyms
- Cheat: to act dishonestly to gain an advantage.
- Swindle: to use deception to deprive someone of money or possessions.
- Defraud: to illegally obtain money from someone by deception.
Related Idioms
- While "lộn sòng" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, the concept is central to the idiom:
- Chơi xấu: to play dirty, to act unfairly.
- Đội kia chơi xấu bằng cách lộn sòng. (The other team played dirty by cheating.)