Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Conceited, self-satisfied: Having an excessively high opinion of oneself or one's abilities; showing smug satisfaction with oneself.

Usage

• "Tự đắc" is used to describe a person's character or a temporary state of being overly pleased with oneself, often to the point of arrogance. It implies a sense of vanity and self-importance that is obvious to others.
• It typically functions as a predicate adjective following the verb "thì" (to be) or "trở nên" (to become), or as an attributive adjective before a noun.
• Example structure: Subject + thì/trở nên + tự đắc or người (con người) tự đắc.

Usage Examples

• As a predicate adjective:

  • Anh ấy tự đắc vì đạt được điểm cao. (He is conceited because he got a high score.)
  • Đừng có tự đắc như vậy! (Don't be so smug!)
  • Sau chiến thắng, cô ấy trở nên tự đắc. (After the victory, she became self-satisfied.)

• As an attributive adjective:

  • Anh ta là một kẻ tự đắc. (He is a conceited person.)
  • Thái độ tự đắc của anh ấy khiến mọi người khó chịu. (His arrogant attitude makes people uncomfortable.)

Advanced Usage

• "Tự đắc tự mãn": This is a common four-word idiom that intensifies the meaning, translating to "complacently self-satisfied" or "smugly conceited." It emphasizes a state of being both self-satisfied and stagnant, unwilling to improve.
  • Thành công nhỏ đã khiến anh ta tự đắc tự mãn, không chịu học hỏi thêm. (A small success made him complacently self-satisfied, unwilling to learn more.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tự mãn (adj): Complacent, self-complacent. While "tự đắc" often relates to pride in one's abilities or achievements, "tự mãn" emphasizes being satisfied with the current situation to the point of not seeking improvement. They are often used together.
• Tự phụ (adj): Arrogant, haughty. This word is stronger and more negative than "tự đắc", implying a more profound sense of superiority and looking down on others.
• Tự cao (adj): Proud, having a high opinion of oneself. Similar to "tự đắc" but can sometimes be used in a slightly less derogatory context.

Synonyms

• Kiêu căng: Arrogant, haughty.
• Ngạo mạn: Arrogant, disdainful (more literary).
• Vênh váo: To swagger, to act cocky (describes behavior).

Related Idioms

• "Được voi đòi tiên": Literally "given an elephant, (you) ask for a fairy." This idiom describes being greedy or never satisfied, which is an opposite behavior to being "tự đắc tự mãn" (smugly satisfied).
• "Ếch ngồi đáy giếng": Literally "a frog sitting at the bottom of a well." This idiom describes a person with a limited worldview who is ignorant but arrogant, closely related to the mindset of someone who is "tự đắc".

adj

1. conceited