tình phụ
Definition
- Verb:
- To be unfaithful in love; to betray romantic love: The primary meaning of "tình phụ" is to break faith with a lover, to abandon or be disloyal to someone after a romantic relationship has been established. It implies a breach of emotional commitment and trust.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Anh ta đã tình phụ cô ấy sau năm năm chung sống. (He was unfaithful to her / betrayed her love after five years of living together.)
- Đừng bao giờ tình phụ một trái tim chân thành. (Never betray a sincere heart.)
- Cô ấy cảm thấy bị tình phụ khi phát hiện ra sự phản bội. (She felt betrayed in love when she discovered the infidelity.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "tình phụ" carries a strong literary and emotional weight, often found in poetry, songs, and classical literature to describe deep romantic betrayal. It is more specific and poignant than the general word for betrayal ("phản bội").
Variants and Related Words
Phụ tình (v): This is a direct variant with the same meaning as "tình phụ," also meaning to be unfaithful in love.
- Lời hứa anh trao, sao lại phụ tình? (The promise you gave, why did you betray our love?)
Phụ bạc (v): To treat someone ungratefully or treacherously; it can apply to love ("phụ bạc tình cảm") but also to broader contexts like abandoning benefactors.
- Hắn là kẻ phụ bạc, quên ơn nghĩa cũ. (He is an ungrateful person who forgets old kindness.)
Synonyms
- Betray (in love): To be disloyal to a romantic partner.
- Be unfaithful: To break vows of fidelity.
- Jilt: To suddenly reject or abandon a lover.
Related Idioms
- "Ăn cháo đá bát" (To eat the porridge and kick the bowl): An idiom meaning to be ungrateful and turn against a benefactor, which can be related to the sentiment of "tình phụ" in contexts of betrayal after receiving care or love.
- Giúp hắn thế mà giờ hắn phản lại, đúng là ăn cháo đá bát. (I helped him so much, and now he turns against me, truly kicking the bowl after eating the porridge.)