phen

Thân thiện

Mặt trời và cơn mưa đã trải qua mấy phen đổi thay.

Definition

Noun: 1. A time, an occasion, an instance: Refers to a specific occurrence or event within a sequence. It emphasizes a discrete episode. 2. A turn, a round: Can indicate one's chance or opportunity within a cyclical process.

Usage

• Phen is a literary and somewhat formal noun, often used in written Vietnamese, poetry, and proverbs. It is less common in everyday casual speech, where lần is more frequently used.
• It typically quantifies repeated events, experiences, or changes of state.

Usage Examples

1. As a noun meaning "a time/occasion":

   • Sông cạn, đá mòn, nhưng tình nghĩa ấy chẳng phai mờ dù trải qua bao phen biến động. (The river may run dry, the rock may wear away, but that affection does not fade despite going through so many turns of upheaval.)
   • Anh ấy đã thử nhiều phen nhưng vẫn chưa thành công. (He has tried many times but has not succeeded yet.)

2. In the phrase "đôi phen":

   • Đôi phen tôi tự hỏi liệu quyết định của mình có đúng đắn. (At times / Now and then, I wonder if my decision was correct.)
   • Công việc đôi phen thật sự rất căng thẳng. (The work is sometimes truly very stressful.)

Advanced Usage / Set Phrases

• Bao phen: Many times, on numerous occasions (often with a sense of enduring through multiple trials).
  • Bao phen sóng gió cuộc đời. (Many storms and troubles in life.)
• Nhiều phen: Many times, frequently.
  • Ông ấy đã đến thăm thành phố này nhiều phen. (He has visited this city many times.)
• Mấy phen: How many times? Several times.
  • Đã mấy phen anh hứa rồi lại thất hứa? (How many times have you promised and then broken it?)

Variants and Related Words

• Lần: The most common and neutral word for "time" or "occasion" in modern Vietnamese. Phen is a more stylistic synonym.
• Lượt: Can mean "turn" or "round" (e.g., in a game or sequence), similar to one meaning of phen.

Synonyms

• Lần: Time, occasion.
• Dịp: Occasion, opportunity (often for a specific event).
• Hồi: Time, period (often a past period).

Notes on Meaning

The core meaning of phen is a counted instance within a series, often carrying a connotation of significant, memorable, or challenging episodes. The phrase đôi phen has evolved into an adverb meaning "sometimes" or "occasionally," directly derived from the noun's meaning of "a couple of times."

Học thuật

noun

1. time, turn
   • đôi phen
     sometimes, now and then