Definition

1. Verb:
   • To prostrate oneself; to kneel and bow deeply in worship, respect, or supplication: The action of kneeling on the ground and then bowing the head and upper body very low, often touching the forehead to the ground. This is a traditional gesture of utmost reverence, submission, or pleading, commonly directed towards deities, ancestors, elders, or superiors.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Người dân quỳ lạy trước bàn thờ tổ tiên. (The people prostrated themselves before the ancestral altar.)
  • Anh ấy quỳ lạy xin cha mẹ tha thứ. (He knelt and bowed deeply, begging his parents for forgiveness.)
  • Trong chùa, các Phật tử thường quỳ lạy trước tượng Phật. (In the temple, Buddhists often prostrate themselves before the Buddha statue.)

Advanced Usage

• "quỳ lạy tạ ơn": to prostrate oneself in gratitude.

  • Sau khi được cứu sống, ông ấy quỳ lạy tạ ơn vị ân nhân. (After being saved, he prostrated himself to thank his benefactor.)

• "quỳ lạy van xin": to kneel and beg desperately.

  • Kẻ trộm quỳ lạy van xin chủ nhà đừng giao cho cảnh sát. (The thief knelt and begged desperately for the homeowner not to hand him over to the police.)

Variants and Related Words

• Quỳ (verb): to kneel.

  • Cô ấy quỳ xuống cắm hương. (She knelt down to place incense sticks.)

• Lạy (verb): to bow deeply with hands clasped; to worship. Often used together with "quỳ" but can sometimes be used separately.

  • Con lạy mẹ! (I beg you, Mother! / I bow to you, Mother!)

Synonyms

• Phủ phục: to prostrate oneself (lying flat on the ground). This implies an even more extreme posture than "quỳ lạy".
• Cúi lạy: to bow in worship. This focuses more on the bowing action and may or may not involve kneeling.

Related Phrases

• Lạy tạ: to bow in thanks or farewell (a respectful bow, often with hands clasped).
  • Ông ấy lạy tạ mọi người rồi ra về. (He bowed respectfully to everyone and then left.)

Related Idioms

• Quỳ lạy sám hối: to prostrate oneself in repentance.

  • Khi nhận ra lỗi lầm, anh ta đã quỳ lạy sám hối. (When he realized his mistake, he prostrated himself in repentance.)

• Chân quỳ tay lạy: (idiom describing the action) kneeling on the legs and bowing with the hands; to beg or show respect extremely humbly.

  • Anh ấy chân quỳ tay lạy trước mặt sếp. (He was on his knees bowing humbly before his boss.)

1. Prostrate oneself