Definition

1. Idiomatic phrase:
   • To turn pale (from fear or shock): Describes a person's face losing its normal color and becoming pale or ashen due to sudden, intense fear, shock, or extreme anxiety. It implies a visible physical reaction to a frightening or startling event.

Usage Examples

• Idiomatic phrase:
  • Nghe tin đó, cô ấy xanh mặt. (Hearing that news, she turned pale.)
  • Tên trộm xanh mặt khi thấy cảnh sát. (The thief turned pale when he saw the police.)
  • Tôi gần như xanh mặt vì sợ hãi. (I almost turned pale from fear.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is almost exclusively used to describe a reaction to a negative emotional stimulus, primarily fear or shock. It is not typically used for illness-related paleness unless caused by sudden fear.

Variants and Related Words

• Tái mặt (idiom): to turn pale. This is a very close synonym, often interchangeable with "xanh mặt."
  • Anh ấy tái mặt đi vì kinh ngạc. (He turned pale from astonishment.)

Synonyms

• To blanch: to become pale from shock or fear.
• To turn ashen: to become very pale, often with a grayish tone.

Related Idioms

• Sợ xanh mặt (verb phrase): to be terrified; literally "to be scared until one's face turns green/pale." This is a common collocation that intensifies the meaning.
  • Đứa trẻ sợ xanh mặt khi nghe tiếng sét. (The child was terrified when he heard the thunderclap.)