ve vãn

Chàng trai đang ve vãn cô gái bằng cách tặng nàng một nhành hoa hồng đỏ thắm dưới ánh đèn đường.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To court; to woo; to flirt with: The primary meaning of "ve vãn" is to engage in affectionate or romantic attention, often with the intention of attracting someone's interest or affection. It implies gentle, persistent, and sometimes playful efforts to win someone over.
   • To coax; to sweet-talk; to butter up: In a broader, often less romantic sense, "ve vãn" can mean using flattering or persuasive words to gain favor, appease someone, or get what one wants.

Usage Examples

• Verb (Romantic context):

  • Anh ta đang ve vãn cô bạn cùng lớp. (He is flirting with his classmate.)
  • Chàng trai dành nhiều thời gian để ve vãn người mình thích. (The young man spent a lot of time courting the person he likes.)

• Verb (Persuasive context):

  • Đứa trẻ ve vãn mẹ để được mua đồ chơi. (The child sweet-talked his mother to buy him a toy.)
  • Cô ấy ve vãn sếp để được tăng lương. (She buttered up the boss to get a raise.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often carries a slightly informal or colloquial tone. It can sometimes imply that the courting or coaxing is somewhat obvious, persistent, or even insincere, depending on the context.

Variants and Related Words

• Tán tỉnh (v): to flirt with, to hit on. This is a very close synonym, often used interchangeably with the romantic sense of "ve vãn."

  • Anh ấy đang cố tán tỉnh cô gái ở quán cà phê. (He is trying to flirt with the girl at the cafe.)

• Nịnh (v): to flatter, to butter up. This relates more to the persuasive, non-romantic sense of "ve vãn."

  • Nó giỏi nịnh bố mẹ lắm. (He is very good at buttering up his parents.)

Synonyms

• Flirt: to behave as if attracted to someone playfully.
• Woo: to seek the favor, affection, or love of someone.
• Coax: to persuade someone gradually or by flattery.
• Butter up: to flatter or praise someone excessively to gain favor.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Ve vãn đào mận: A playful idiom referring to the act of courting or chasing after girls (where "đào mận" is a colloquial term for young women).
  • Hồi trẻ, ông ấy cũng hay ve vãn đào mận lắm. (When he was young, he used to chase after girls a lot.)