lờn mặt
Definition
- Idiomatic Verb Phrase:
- To become disrespectful or lose respect (for someone): To cease to regard someone with proper deference or fear, often due to perceived leniency or familiarity, leading to presumptuous or insolent behavior.
- To become emboldened or brazen: To grow accustomed to a situation or person's tolerance, resulting in increased audacity or a tendency to overstep boundaries.
Usage Examples
- Idiomatic Verb Phrase:
- Đừng chiều con quá, nó sẽ lờn mặt. (Don't spoil the child too much, he/she will become disrespectful.)
- Sếp quá dễ tính nên nhân viên lờn mặt. (The boss is too easygoing, so the employees have lost their respect.)
- Tên tội phạm đó đã lờn mặt với cảnh sát. (That criminal has become brazen with the police.)
Advanced Usage
- This phrase often describes a gradual process where repeated permissiveness or lack of firm consequences erodes authority or respect.
- It is commonly used in hierarchical relationships (parent-child, teacher-student, boss-employee) or in contexts where one party holds authority over another.
Variants and Related Words
- Cả gan (adj): daring, audacious (describes a state of boldness, while "lờn mặt" describes the process of becoming so).
- Nhờn (adj, colloquial): cheeky, fresh; a shorter, more informal form related to "lờn mặt".
- Mặt dày (idiom): thick-skinned, shameless (describes a characteristic, not the process of change).
Synonyms
- To become insolent
- To become presumptuous
- To lose one's fear/respect (of someone)
Related Idioms
- Được đằng chân, lân đằng đầu: Literally "given an inch, they'll take a mile"; describes escalating demands or insolence following initial leniency, closely related to the concept of "lờn mặt".
- Nuôi ong tay áo: Literally "to raise bees in one's sleeve"; to nurture someone who later betrays or disrespects you.