mất nết
Definition
- Adjective (describing a person's character):
- Ill-mannered; badly behaved: Used primarily to describe a child who has developed persistent bad habits or poor behavior, often perceived as a deterioration from a previously better state.
- Depraved; dissolute: Can describe someone, especially a young person, whose behavior is considered morally corrupt or indecent.
Usage Examples
- Adjective: (That child is becoming more and more ill-mannered.) (The parents are worried because their daughter is starting to become depraved.) (Hanging out with a bad crowd, he has become very badly behaved.)
Advanced Usage
- The term often carries a strong tone of disappointment and implies a loss of inherent goodness or proper upbringing. It is frequently used by elders (parents, grandparents) to scold or express concern about a younger person's moral decline.
Variants and Related Words
- Hư hỏng (adj): Spoiled, corrupt. A close synonym often used interchangeably with "mất nết." (He became corrupted after dropping out of school.)
- Hư đốn (adj): Decadent, morally bankrupt. A stronger term implying serious moral failure.
Synonyms
- Ill-bred
- Misbehaved
- Wayward
- Debauched
Related Idioms
- "Mất dạy": Literally "to lose teaching/upbringing." A related, often stronger, term meaning rude, impolite, or lacking in basic manners and respect. (That boy is insolent; he is truly ill-bred.)