Definition

1. Verb:
   • To kowtow / to prostrate oneself: The primary meaning of "rập đầu" is to bow one's head very low, often touching the ground, as a deep gesture of respect, submission, or supplication. It historically refers to a formal act of obeisance.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Người ấy rập đầu trước bàn thờ tổ tiên. (That person kowtowed before the ancestral altar.)
  • Kẻ tội đồ rập đầu xin tha tội. (The sinner prostrated himself to beg for forgiveness.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "rập đầu" is considered archaic and is primarily found in historical, literary, or ceremonial contexts. It describes a more extreme and formal physical gesture than a typical bow.

Variants and Related Words

• Lạy (v): to bow deeply with joined hands; a common gesture of worship or deep respect.
  • Các Phật tử lạy trước tượng Phật. (The Buddhists bow before the Buddha statue.)

Synonyms

• Kowtow: to kneel and touch the ground with the forehead in worship or submission.
• Prostrate oneself: to lie stretched out on the ground with one's face downward, especially in reverence or submission.

Related Idioms

• Rập đầu xin gia ơn: to kowtow to beg for favor/mercy.
  • Hắn rập đầu xin gia ơn của quan lớn. (He kowtowed to beg for the high official's mercy.)