Definition

1. Adjective:
   • To turn pale / to become ashen-faced: Describes a sudden loss of normal facial color, typically due to a strong negative emotion such as fear, shock, horror, or extreme anger. The phrase literally means the face becomes "tái" (a greyish, pallid, or sallow color).

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Nghe tin dữ, cô ấy tái mặt. (Hearing the bad news, she turned pale.)
  • Tên trộm tái mặt khi thấy cảnh sát. (The thief's face went ashen when he saw the police.)
  • Ông ấy tái mặt vì giận dữ. (He became pale with rage.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase "tái mặt" is often used to emphasize an immediate, visceral physical reaction to a psychological shock. It is stronger than simply changing expression.

Variants and Related Words

• Tái mét (adj): An intensified form meaning extremely pale, deathly pale.

  • Cậu bé tái mét sau cú ngã. (The boy was deathly pale after the fall.)

• Xanh mặt (adj): To turn greenish or pale, often due to nausea, sickness, or fear. It is sometimes used interchangeably with "tái mặt" for fear.

  • Anh ấy xanh mặt vì say sóng. (He turned green from seasickness.)

Synonyms

• To blanch: to become white or pale.
• To go white: to lose color in the face.
• To become ashen: to turn a pale grey color.

Related Idioms

• Sợ tái mặt: to be scared pale.
  • Câu chuyện ma làm lũ trẻ sợ tái mặt. (The ghost story made the children turn pale with fear.)