Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To lie prone: To rest or recline with the front of the body (the chest and stomach) facing downward.

Usage Examples

• (The child is lying prone on the rug playing with toys.)
• (The doctor advised him to lie prone for a few hours each day to improve his breathing.)
• (After swimming, she likes to lie face down on her towel to sun her back.)

Advanced Usage

• Medical/Health Context: "Nằm sấp" is specifically used in medical instructions, such as "prone positioning" for patients with severe respiratory difficulties to improve oxygenation.
  • Bệnh nhân COVID-19 trong phòng chăm sóc đặc biệt được yêu cầu nằm sấp. (The COVID-19 patient in the ICU was required to lie in the prone position.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nằm ngửa (verb phrase): To lie supine; to lie on one's back.
• Nằm nghiêng (verb phrase): To lie on one's side.

Synonyms

• To lie face down: A common, descriptive synonym.
• To lie prone: The formal or technical term.

Related Idioms

• Nằm sấp bò ngửa: (Literally: to lie prone and crawl supine) An idiom describing a state of extreme hardship, struggling to get by.
  • Công việc kinh doanh thất bát khiến họ nằm sấp bò ngửa. (The business failure left them struggling desperately to make ends meet.)