Definition

1. Verb:
   • To proclaim oneself; to assume a title or role: The act of declaring or giving oneself a specific title, name, or status, often without official recognition or authority.
   • To self-style; to claim to be: To assert one's identity as something, which may or may not be true or formally granted.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Hắn tự xưng là bác sĩ, nhưng không có bằng cấp. (He proclaimed himself to be a doctor, but he has no degree.)
  • Sau chiến thắng, ông ấy tự xưng là vua. (After the victory, he proclaimed himself king.)
  • Đừng tin những kẻ tự xưng là chuyên gia trên mạng. (Don't trust those who self-style as experts online.)

Advanced Usage

• "tự xưng là...": This is the most common construction, meaning "to proclaim/declare oneself to be...".
  • Nhóm phiến quân tự xưng là chính phủ hợp pháp. (The rebel group proclaimed itself to be the legitimate government.)
• Used in formal, historical, or critical contexts to describe self-proclaimed authority, often implying a lack of legitimacy or verification.

Variants and Related Words

• Tự phong (verb): To self-confer (a title); similar to "tự xưng" but can imply even less basis in reality. (e.g., - he self-proclaimed himself a genius).
• Xưng (verb): To call oneself; to claim to be. (e.g., - he claimed to be the richest person in the village).
• Tự nhận (verb): To self-identify; to consider oneself. This is more neutral and can be used for subjective qualities (e.g., - to consider oneself an optimist).

Synonyms

• Tự cho là: To consider oneself to be.
• Nhận mình là: To claim to be.

Related Phrases / Idioms

• Tự xưng tự tôn: (Idiomatic) To boastfully proclaim one's own virtues; to be self-aggrandizing. This phrase carries a strong negative connotation of arrogance.
  • Anh ta cứ tự xưng tự tôn về thành tích của mình. (He keeps boastfully proclaiming his own achievements.)

verb

1. to assume, to proclaim oneself