kẻ bất lương
The Vietnamese word for rascal is kẻ bất lương.
kẻ bất lương is used to describe a cheeky person.
Meaning: cheeky person (noun)
Did you know?
- The term bất lương is shared with other East Asian languages due to its Sino-Vietnamese roots. For example, in Japanese, furyō refers to delinquents or rascals.
- While 'rascal' in English can be a playful term for a child, kẻ bất lương carries a much heavier, more serious weight in Vietnamese, often implying a criminal or a person without morals.
- The word lương in kẻ bất lương comes from the Chinese character 良, which means 'good' or 'virtuous'. Therefore, a 'rascal' is literally someone who is 'not good'.
Examples in context
- Anh ấy là một đứa trẻ quậy phá.He is a mischievous child.
Example conversation
Chi and Minh are talking about a mischievous classmate.
- ChiMinh, cậu thấy bạn đó thế nào?Minh, what do you think of that person?
- MinhCậu ta đúng là một kẻ bất lương.He is a real rascal.
- ChiNhưng cậu ấy rất vui tính.But he is very funny.
- MinhVui tính nhưng hay bày trò quá.Funny, but he plays too many tricks.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kẻ, lương, CC BY-SA 4.0.
