chân xấu
[t͡ɕən˧˧ səw˧˦]word by word
The English phrase 'ugly feet' is translated into Vietnamese as chân xấu.
This phrase is used to describe feet that are not pleasing to look at. While chân is a general term that can refer to both the leg and the foot, you may encounter other variations depending on how specific you want to be about the body part.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of chân, meaning foot or leg and xấu, meaning ugly.
Which one should you use?
You can use Chân không đẹp to mean 'feet that are not beautiful'. If you want to be more precise and refer specifically to the feet or the soles rather than the whole leg, you should use bàn chân xấu.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify a pair of feet, you can add the classifier đôi before chân to form đôi chân xấu.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese culture, the word xấu can describe not only a physical appearance but also a person's moral character or 'bad' behavior.
- The word chân has two completely different histories. It can be an ancient Austroasiatic word for 'leg' or a Sino-Vietnamese word borrowed from Chinese meaning 'true' or 'real'.
- Vietnamese uses the word chân for both the foot and the leg, but the addition of bàn specifically isolates the 'table' or 'flat' part of the foot.
Examples in context
- Anh ấy có đôi chân xấu.He has ugly feet.
- Đôi chân xấu làm tôi mất tự tin.Ugly feet make me lose confidence.
Example conversation
Minh and Chi are talking about buying open-toed shoes.
- MinhChi, cậu có muốn mua đôi giày này không?Chi, do you want to buy these shoes?
- ChiKhông, tớ sợ mọi người thấy chân xấu.No, I'm afraid people will see my ugly feet.
- MinhCậu nói vậy là sai rồi, chân cậu đẹp mà.You're wrong, your feet are beautiful.
- ChiCảm ơn Minh, nhưng tớ vẫn thấy tự ti.Thanks Minh, but I still feel insecure.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (chân, xấu) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chân, xấu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
