mặt phấn
Definition
- Noun:
- A powdered face / A face with powder: Literally refers to a face that is made up with cosmetic powder. It is an old-fashioned, literary term.
- A woman's lot / The lot of a woman: By metonymy, it symbolizes the status, fate, or delicate beauty of a woman, often used in classical poetry and literature to evoke a sense of fragile femininity.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Trong thơ cổ, "mặt phấn" thường gợi lên vẻ đẹp mong manh của người phụ nữ. (In classical poetry, "mặt phấn" often evokes the delicate beauty of a woman.)
- Nàng trang điểm kỹ với mặt phấn hồng. (She applied her makeup carefully with a rosy, powdered face.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is almost exclusively used in a poetic, metaphorical, or historical context to represent feminine beauty and its transient nature. It is not used in everyday modern conversation to describe someone wearing makeup.
Variants and Related Words
- Phấn son (n): rouge and powder; cosmetics in general, also used metaphorically for feminine beauty or adornment.
- Cuộc đời phấn son của người kỹ nữ. (The cosmetic-adorned life of a courtesan.)
Synonyms
- Powdered face: A face with cosmetic powder applied.
- Fair maiden: A poetic term for a beautiful young woman (in the metaphorical sense).
Related Idioms
- Mặt phấn, má hồng: A classical idiom meaning "powdered face, rosy cheeks"; a standard literary description of a beautiful woman.
- Những cô gái mặt phấn má hồng bước ra từ tranh cổ. (The girls with powdered faces and rosy cheeks stepped out of an ancient painting.)