tân nhân vật
Definition
- Noun:
- New personage / New character: A term used, often ironically or mockingly, to refer to a person who is newly prominent, newly arrived in a social circle, or newly adopting a certain fashionable or conspicuous role. It implies a degree of novelty that is seen as pretentious, affected, or worthy of gentle ridicule.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Anh ta tự xưng là tân nhân vật của làng nghệ thuật. (He proclaims himself as the new personage of the art scene.)
- Cô ấy ăn mặc và nói năng khác hẳn, đúng là một tân nhân vật. (She dresses and talks completely differently, truly a new character.)
- Đừng có mà lên mặt làm tân nhân vật ở đây. (Don't put on airs and act like some new important person here.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is inherently critical or sarcastic. It is rarely used as a genuine compliment. It highlights the perceived gap between a person's self-importance and their actual, often superficial, new status.
Variants and Related Words
- Nhân vật (n): character, figure, personage.
- Ông ấy là một nhân vật quan trọng. (He is an important figure.)
Synonyms
- Upstart: a person who has risen suddenly to wealth or high position, especially one who behaves arrogantly.
- Parvenu: a person from a humble background who has rapidly gained wealth or social standing.
- Newcomer (derogatory): a person who has recently arrived, often implying they lack understanding of established norms.
Related Idioms
- Làm ra vẻ tân nhân vật: to put on the airs of a new personage; to act like one is newly important.
- Anh ấy chẳng có thành tích gì, chỉ thích làm ra vẻ tân nhân vật. (He has no achievements, he just likes to put on the airs of a new personage.)