mọc sừng

Definition

Verb phrase:
- To be cuckolded; to have one's wife be unfaithful: A vulgar, colloquial expression describing a husband whose wife has committed adultery. It implies the husband has been betrayed and is unaware or powerless in the situation, metaphorically "growing horns."

Usage Examples

Verb phrase:
- Anh ta không biết mình đã bị mọc sừng. (He doesn't know he's been cuckolded.)
- Cộng đồng mạng bàn tán xôn xao về việc người chồng trẻ bị mọc sừng. (The online community is buzzing about the young husband being cuckolded.)
- Câu chuyện anh ấy kể nghe cứ như là bị mọc sừng vậy. (The story he told sounds just like a case of being cuckolded.)

Advanced Usage

This phrase is almost exclusively used in informal, conversational contexts and carries a strong, derogatory connotation. It is considered crude and offensive.
It is typically used in the passive voice structure "bị mọc sừng" (to be cuckolded) or "bị vợ/người yêu mọc sừng" (to be cuckolded by one's wife/girlfriend).
The phrase can be used humorously or sarcastically among close friends in very informal settings, but extreme caution is advised due to its vulgar nature.

Variants and Related Words

Cắm sừng (verb phrase): The active form meaning "to cuckold (someone)", i.e., to be the person who is unfaithful to one's partner.
- Cô ta đã cắm sừng chồng mình với đồng nghiệp. (She cuckolded her husband with a colleague.)
Đội sừng (verb phrase): A synonymous, equally vulgar phrase for "to be cuckolded."
- Hắn bị vợ cho đội sừng từ lâu. (He's been wearing horns from his wife for a long time.)

Synonyms

Bị phản bội (verb phrase): To be betrayed (less specific, more general, and less vulgar).
Bị vợ/người yêu ngoại tình (verb phrase): To have one's wife/girlfriend commit adultery (more descriptive and formal).

Related Idioms

Làm trò cười cho thiên hạ: To become a laughingstock for everyone (a common consequence implied by "mọc sừng").
- Bị mọc sừng rồi còn không biết, anh ta đúng là làm trò cười cho thiên hạ. (Cuckolded and still unaware, he has truly become a laughingstock.)
Đeo bám (in this context): To cling to (can be used to describe the "other man").
- Gã đàn ông đeo bám vợ người khác chính là nguyên nhân khiến anh ta mọc sừng. (The man clinging to another's wife is the reason he was cuckolded.)