trắc nết
Definition
- Adjective:
- Of loose or immoral character: Used primarily to describe a woman's perceived lack of virtue, improper conduct, or promiscuous behavior. It implies a deviation from traditional standards of female propriety and chastity.
- Ill-mannered or badly behaved: Can describe someone, typically female, who is considered to have poor character or indecent manners.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Người ta đồn cô ấy là người trắc nết. (People rumored that she was a woman of loose character.)
- Mẹ cô ấy lo lắng vì sợ con gái mình trở nên trắc nết. (Her mother was worried, fearing her daughter would become ill-behaved/virtueless.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is archaic and carries strong negative, judgmental, and often sexist connotations. It is rarely used in modern, neutral discourse but may appear in historical texts, literature, or in conservative, critical commentary on a woman's morals.
Variants and Related Words
- Mất nết (adj): Literally "to lose one's character," a direct synonym meaning ill-mannered or morally loose.
- Đứa con gái mất nết. (The ill-mannered daughter.)
Synonyms
- Immoral: Not conforming to accepted standards of morality.
- Promiscuous: Having many casual sexual partners.
- Ill-reputed: Having a bad reputation.
- Wayward: Difficult to control or predict because of willful or perverse behavior.
Related Idioms
- Ăn ở trắc nết: To live/conduct oneself in an immoral way.
- Bị mọi người xa lánh vì ăn ở trắc nết. (Shunned by everyone for living immorally.)