mắc bẫy
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To be caught in a trap: To become physically ensnared or captured by a device set to catch animals or people.
- To fall for a trick / to be deceived: To be tricked or duped into a disadvantageous situation, often through cunning or deceit.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Con cáo đã mắc bẫy của người thợ săn. (The fox was caught in the hunter's trap.)
- Nhiều người đã mắc bẫy lừa đảo qua điện thoại. (Many people have fallen for telephone scams.)
- Đội đối phương mắc bẫy việt vị. (The opposing team fell into the offside trap.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase can be used in both literal (physical traps) and highly figurative contexts (psychological, strategic, or digital traps).
- It often implies a sense of being victimized by one's own carelessness, greed, or ignorance.
Variants and Related Words
Mắc lừa (verb phrase): to be tricked, to be deceived. Focuses more on the deception than the trapping mechanism.
- Cậu bé mắc lừa kẻ lạ mặt. (The boy was tricked by the stranger.)
Sa bẫy (verb phrase): to fall into a trap. Very similar in meaning and usage to "mắc bẫy."
- Họ đã khiến đối thủ sa bẫy. (They made their opponent fall into the trap.)
Synonyms
- To be trapped: To be caught in a trap.
- To be ensnared: To be caught, as if in a snare.
- To be duped: To be deceived or tricked.
Related Idioms
- Mắc bẫy ngọt: Literally "to be caught in a sweet trap"; to be seduced or lured by tempting but dangerous offers (e.g., easy money, flattery).
- Anh ta mắc bẫy ngọt của những lời hứa hẹn. (He was caught in the sweet trap of empty promises.)