trở chứng
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To become capricious or erratic: To suddenly display unreasonable, unpredictable, or difficult behavior, often contrary to one's usual character or previous agreements.
- To have a relapse (of an illness or bad habit): For symptoms of a disease or an undesirable condition to reappear or worsen after a period of improvement.
- To act up: To behave in a troublesome, uncooperative, or malfunctioning way, used for both people and things.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Nó hứa rồi, giờ lại trở chứng không chịu đi. (He promised, but now he's acting up and refuses to go.)
- Bệnh của bà cụ hay trở chứng về mùa đông. (The old woman's illness often relapses in the winter.)
- Cái máy tính này lại trở chứng, không mở nổi file. (This computer is acting up again; it can't open the file.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used to express frustration or annoyance at a sudden, negative change in behavior or condition. It implies a sense of betrayal of expectations or a return to a previously problematic state.
Variants and Related Words
- Giở chứng (verb phrase): A more colloquial variant with identical meaning and usage to "trở chứng."
- Đừng có giở chứng ra nhé! (Don't you start acting up!)
Synonyms
- To act up: To behave badly or dysfunctionally.
- To relapse: To fall back into a previous state, especially of illness or bad behavior.
- To become erratic: To become unpredictable and irregular in behavior.
Related Idioms
- While "trở chứng" itself is often used idiomatically, it is closely related to the concept of "trở mặt" (to turn one's face), which means to suddenly become hostile or betray someone.
- Hợp tác có lợi thì vui vẻ, gặp khó khăn là trở chứng ngay. (He's all cheerful when cooperation is profitable, but the moment things get difficult, he starts acting up.)