mắc phải
Definition
- Verb:
- To catch / to contract / to fall victim to: To become affected by something undesirable, such as an illness, a bad habit, or a negative circumstance. It implies an unfortunate or involuntary acquisition.
- To get caught in / to fall into: To become ensnared or trapped by a physical object or a metaphorical situation like a trap, a problem, or a difficult condition.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Anh ấy đã mắc phải bệnh cúm. (He caught the flu.)
- Con chim mắc phải lưới. (The bird got caught in the net.)
- Công ty mắc phải khó khăn tài chính. (The company fell into financial difficulty.)
Advanced Usage
- This verb is often used with negative or undesirable objects. It carries a nuance of misfortune or lack of intention.
- Mắc phải sai lầm: to commit a mistake (in the sense of unfortunately making one).
- Mắc phải nợ nần: to incur debts.
Variants and Related Words
- Mắc (v): A more general term meaning to be caught, stuck, or entangled. "Mắc phải" often adds emphasis on the unfortunate occurrence.
- Mắc kẹt (v): to be stuck.
- Mắc bệnh (v): to contract a disease.
Synonyms
- Contract: to acquire (an illness).
- Catch: to become infected with.
- Incur: to become subject to (something unpleasant as a result of one's own action).
- Fall into: to get into (a bad situation).
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Mắc phải vận xui: to have a streak of bad luck.
- Tuần này tôi mắc phải vận xui. (I've had a streak of bad luck this week.)
- Mắc phải tật xấu: to pick up a bad habit.
- Đứa trẻ mắc phải tật nói dối. (The child picked up the habit of lying.)