máu mặt
Definition
- Noun:
- Face, social standing, prestige: The primary meaning refers to a person's social status, reputation, or honor within a community. It implies being respected and having influence.
- Financial comfort, being well-off: A secondary meaning describes a state of relative financial ease or prosperity that contributes to one's social standing.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông ấy là người có máu mặt trong làng. (He is a person of standing in the village.)
- Làm ăn phát đạt, giờ anh ta đã có máu mặt. (His business is thriving, so now he has prestige.)
- Gia đình ấy sống rất có máu mặt. (That family lives very comfortably and respectably.)
Advanced Usage
- The concept is deeply tied to social perception. "Có máu mặt" (to have standing) is a fixed phrase indicating someone is established and respected. Its opposite is often implied rather than stated directly.
Variants and Related Words
- Thể diện (n): face, dignity, prestige. This is a close synonym but can be more focused on the external appearance of honor.
- Anh ấy lo sợ mất thể diện. (He is afraid of losing face.)
Synonyms
- Prestige: Widespread respect and admiration stemming from achievements or quality.
- Standing: One's status or reputation in a society or group.
- Reputation: The beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone.
Related Idioms
Có máu mặt: To be a person of substance, to have prestige and a comfortable life.
- Sau khi được bầu làm chủ tịch, ông ta thực sự có máu mặt. (After being elected chairman, he truly gained standing.)
Mất mặt: To lose face; to be humiliated or have one's dignity damaged. This is a related but opposite concept.
- Hành động đó khiến anh ta mất mặt trước đám đông. (That action made him lose face in front of the crowd.)