Definition

1. Verb:
   • To turn pale, to blanch (especially from fear, shame, or shock): "xám mặt" describes the action of one's face losing its normal color, becoming pale or ashen, due to a strong negative emotion such as fear, extreme shame, or fright.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Nghe tin đó, anh ta xám mặt lại. (Upon hearing that news, he turned pale.)
  • Cô ấy xám mặt vì sợ hãi khi nhìn thấy con rắn. (She went pale with fear upon seeing the snake.)
  • Hành động của nó làm cả gia đình xám mặt. (His actions made the whole family blanch with shame.)

Advanced Usage

• "Sợ xám mặt": to be scared pale, to be terrified.
  • Đứa trẻ sợ xám mặt khi bị lạc. (The child was scared pale when he got lost.)
• The phrase often implies that the cause of the paleness is a sudden, intense emotion that is visible on the person's face, affecting their demeanor.

Variants and Related Words

• Tái mặt (verb): to turn pale, to blanch. This is a very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "xám mặt".
  • Anh ấy tái mặt đi vì đau đớn. (He turned pale from the pain.)
• Xám xịt (adjective): gloomy, dismal, dreary (describing atmosphere or color, not a person's face). This is a different usage.
  • Bầu trời xám xịt trước cơn bão. (The sky was gloomy before the storm.)

Synonyms

• Tái mét: to turn deathly pale.
• Blanch: to become pale.
• Pale: to lose color.

Related Idioms

• Xám mặt xám mày: (an intensified form) to turn completely pale, to be utterly ashamed or terrified. It emphasizes the severity of the reaction.
  • Lời chỉ trích của sếp khiến anh ấy xám mặt xám mày. (The boss's criticism made him turn completely pale with shame.)

verb

1. to pale