Definition

1. Noun:

   • Screen; curtain: A piece of fabric or other material that can be drawn or pulled to cover an opening, window, or stage, or to divide a space.

2. Verb (Archaic/Literary):

   • To trace; to copy; to draw: To reproduce an image or text by following its lines, often used in classical poetry.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Kéo mạc lên để bắt đầu vở kịch. (Draw the curtain to begin the play.)
  • Căn phòng được chia đôi bằng một tấm mạc. (The room was divided in two by a screen.)

• Verb (Archaic):

  • Nào ai mạc mặt, nào ai gọi hồn. (Who would trace their faces, who would call their souls.) — From "Chinh Phụ Ngâm"

Advanced Usage

• This word is primarily used as a noun in modern Vietnamese. The verb form is highly literary and is almost exclusively encountered in classical poetry or texts.

Variants and Related Words

• Màn (n): A more common and modern synonym for "screen" or "curtain."
  • màn hình (screen, as in computer or TV screen)
  • màn sân khấu (stage curtain)

Synonyms

• Noun: curtain, screen, drape.
• Verb (Archaic): trace, copy, sketch, depict.

Related Idioms

• Lên mạc / Hạ mạc: To raise/lower the curtain. Often used metaphorically for the beginning or ending of an event.
  • Lễ hội chính thức hạ mạc vào chiều qua. (The festival officially concluded yesterday afternoon.)

noun

1. screen ; curtain