ăn lận

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cheat, to act dishonestly: The primary meaning of "ăn lận" is to gain an unfair advantage through deception or fraud, especially in games, competitions, or transactions. It is synonymous with "ăn gian".
   • To be deceitful: It describes behavior that is intentionally dishonest or fraudulent.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đứa trẻ đó bị phát hiện ăn lận khi chơi bài. (That child was caught cheating while playing cards.)
  • Không ai thích chơi với người hay ăn lận. (No one likes to play with someone who often cheats.)
  • Công ty đó bị cáo buộc ăn lận trong đấu thầu. (That company is accused of cheating in the bidding process.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used to describe dishonest actions in contexts of rules, agreements, or fair play. It carries a strong negative moral judgment.

Variants and Related Words

• Ăn gian (v): to cheat, to swindle. This is a direct synonym.
  • Hắn ta có tiền sử ăn gian trong thi cử. (He has a history of cheating in exams.)

Synonyms

• Cheat: to act dishonestly or unfairly to gain an advantage.
• Swindle: to use deception to deprive someone of money or possessions.
• Defraud: to illegally obtain money from someone by deception.

Related Idioms

• While "ăn lận" itself is a specific term, it is conceptually related to idioms about dishonesty, such as:
  • Chơi xấu: to play dirty, to use underhanded tactics.

    • Đối thủ chơi xấu bằng cách ăn lận. (The opponent played dirty by cheating.)