xem bói
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To have one's fortune told: The act of consulting a fortune teller or diviner to learn about one's future, fate, or to seek guidance on personal matters through mystical or prophetic means.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Cô ấy thích đi xem bói vào đầu năm mới. (She likes to have her fortune told at the start of the new year.)
- Họ đi xem bói để hỏi về chuyện công việc. (They went to have their fortune told to ask about work matters.)
- Xem bói có thật sự đoán trước được tương lai không? (Can fortune telling really predict the future?)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase can imply a range of specific divinatory practices, such as palmistry, tarot card reading, or astrology, depending on the context.
- Xem bói chỉ tay: to have one's palm read.
- Xem bói bài tarot: to have a tarot card reading.
Variants and Related Words
- Bói toán (n): fortune telling, divination (the general practice or art).
- Bói toán có từ thời xa xưa. (Fortune telling has existed since ancient times.)
- Thầy bói / Cô bói (n): fortune teller (male/female).
- Thầy bói nói tôi sẽ gặp may mắn. (The fortune teller said I would encounter good luck.)
Synonyms
- To consult a fortune teller: to seek advice or prophecy from a diviner.
- To have a divination: to undergo a ritual to foresee the future.
Related Idioms and Common Phrases
- Xem bói xem quẻ: to have one's fortune told (using lots or hexagrams); implies a formal divination session.
- Bà cụ ngồi xem bói xem quẻ trước cổng chùa. (The old woman sat telling fortunes at the temple gate.)