van lạy
Definition
- Verb:
- To beg or beseech humbly and earnestly: The primary meaning of "van lạy" is to plead or entreat someone with great humility, often accompanied by a bowing or prostrating gesture. It conveys a sense of desperate, respectful supplication.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Cô ấy van lạy kẻ bắt cóc tha cho con mình. (She begged the kidnapper to spare her child.)
- Người đàn ông van lạy trước tòa án. (The man beseeched the court.)
- Đứa trẻ van lạy mẹ nó cho đi chơi. (The child pleaded with its mother to let it go play.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in contexts of extreme desperation, where the speaker is in a position of inferiority or powerlessness, appealing to someone perceived as having authority or mercy. The action implied ("lạy") is a traditional Vietnamese gesture of deep respect or submission.
Variants and Related Words
Van xin (v): to beg, to plead. This is a more general term for begging without the specific connotation of the bowing gesture.
- Nó van xin được tha thứ. (He begged for forgiveness.)
Lạy (v): to bow deeply or prostrate oneself as a sign of respect, worship, or supplication.
- Các Phật tử lạy trước tượng Phật. (The Buddhists bow before the Buddha statue.)
Synonyms
- Beseech: to ask urgently and fervently.
- Implore: to beg desperately.
- Entreat: to ask earnestly or anxiously.
- Supplicate: to ask or beg humbly and earnestly.
Related Idioms
- Van lạy khẩn cầu: to beg and implore desperately. This phrase intensifies the act of supplication.
- Gia đình nạn nhân van lạy khẩn cầu công lý. (The victim's family implored for justice.)