Definition

1. Noun:
   • A powdered face / A face with powder: Literally refers to a face that is made up with cosmetic powder. It is an old-fashioned, literary term.
   • A woman's lot / The lot of a woman: By metonymy, it symbolizes the status, fate, or delicate beauty of a woman, often used in classical poetry and literature to evoke a sense of fragile femininity.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong thơ cổ, "mặt phấn" thường gợi lên vẻ đẹp mong manh của người phụ nữ. (In classical poetry, "mặt phấn" often evokes the delicate beauty of a woman.)
  • Nàng trang điểm kỹ với mặt phấn hồng. (She applied her makeup carefully with a rosy, powdered face.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in a poetic, metaphorical, or historical context to represent feminine beauty and its transient nature. It is not used in everyday modern conversation to describe someone wearing makeup.

Variants and Related Words

• Phấn son (n): rouge and powder; cosmetics in general, also used metaphorically for feminine beauty or adornment.
  • Cuộc đời phấn son của người kỹ nữ. (The cosmetic-adorned life of a courtesan.)

Synonyms

• Powdered face: A face with cosmetic powder applied.
• Fair maiden: A poetic term for a beautiful young woman (in the metaphorical sense).

Related Idioms

• Mặt phấn, má hồng: A classical idiom meaning "powdered face, rosy cheeks"; a standard literary description of a beautiful woman.
  • Những cô gái mặt phấn má hồng bước ra từ tranh cổ. (The girls with powdered faces and rosy cheeks stepped out of an ancient painting.)