mang tai mang tiếng
Definition
- Phrase (Idiomatic Expression):
- To bear a bad reputation / to be ill-spoken of: To suffer damage to one's social standing or honor because of gossip, slander, or a negative public perception, often through no direct fault of one's own. It implies being the subject of disparaging talk that tarnishes one's name.
Usage Examples
- Phrase:
- Chẳng làm gì nên tội mà bị mang tai mang tiếng. (I didn't do anything wrong, yet I bear a bad reputation.)
- Cô ấy sợ con cái sau này sẽ mang tai mang tiếng vì chuyện của bố mẹ. (She is afraid her children will be ill-spoken of later because of their parents' affairs.)
- Việc đó khiến cả dòng họ mang tai mang tiếng. (That matter caused the whole family lineage to bear a disgraceful reputation.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used in contexts involving family honor, community standing, or personal dignity. It emphasizes the social and auditory nature of the disgrace—people are (tai) and (tiếng) about it.
Variants and Related Words
- Mang tiếng (v): to have a (bad) reputation, to be reputed. This is a more common shortened form of the idiom.
- Anh ấy mang tiếng là người không đáng tin. (He has the reputation of being untrustworthy.)
Synonyms
- To be maligned: to be spoken ill of.
- To be defamed: to have one's reputation attacked.
- To suffer a loss of face: to lose dignity or respect in the eyes of others.
Related Idioms
- Mang tiếng oan: to bear an unjust/slanderous reputation.
- Ông ấy mang tiếng oan suốt mấy chục năm. (He bore an unjust reputation for decades.)