Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To open someone's eyes (literally): The act of physically opening another person's eyelids, often used for someone who is unable or unwilling to open their own eyes.
   • To open someone's eyes (figuratively): To make someone aware of a truth or reality they were previously ignorant of; to enlighten or disillusion someone.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Em bé sơ sinh chưa biết mở mắt, y tá phải vạch mắt cho bé. (The newborn baby doesn't know how to open its eyes yet, the nurse has to open its eyes for it.)
  • Anh ấy đã vạch mắt cho tôi thấy sự thật phũ phàng. (He opened my eyes to the harsh truth.)
  • Bài báo đó vạch mắt cho công chúng về vụ bê bối. (That article opened the public's eyes to the scandal.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is almost always used in a causative sense ("to make someone see") rather than a reflexive one ("to open one's own eyes"). To express "I opened my own eyes," a different construction like "tôi mở mắt ra" is typically used.
• It carries a strong connotation of revealing an unpleasant or hidden truth, leading to a loss of innocence or previous ignorance.

Variants and Related Words

• Mở mắt (v): To open one's eyes (literally or figuratively, can be reflexive or causative).

  • Tỉnh dậy, cô ấy mở mắt nhìn xung quanh. (Waking up, she opened her eyes and looked around.)

• Vạch trần (v): To expose, to lay bare (a truth, a plot, a crime).

  • Nhà báo vạch trần âm mưu của công ty. (The journalist exposed the company's plot.)

Synonyms

• Enlighten: To give someone greater knowledge or understanding.
• Disillusion: To disappoint someone by revealing the unpleasant truth about something they admired or believed in.
• Reveal: To make previously unknown information known.

Related Idioms

• Vạch áo cho người xem lưng: Literally "to open one's shirt to show one's back to the viewer"; meaning to unnecessarily expose one's own shortcomings or secrets.

  • Anh đừng có vạch áo cho người xem lưng như thế. (Don't go exposing your own flaws like that.)

• Mở mắt ra mà nhìn: Literally "open your eyes and look"; an exhortation to become aware of the obvious reality.

  • Cậu phải mở mắt ra mà nhìn, nó không yêu cậu đâu. (You have to open your eyes and see, she doesn't love you.)