lân

Thân thiện

Một con lân đang múa trong sân đình.

Definition

1. Verb:

   • To encroach, to overstep: To move beyond an established or agreed limit or boundary.
   • To take turns, to alternate: To happen or be done in a repeated sequence, one after the other.

2. Noun:

   • Phosphorus: A chemical element (symbol P), essential for life, often used in fertilizers.
   • Unicorn/Kylin (mythical creature): A mythical animal, often a symbol of good luck and prosperity in East Asian cultures.
   • Unicorn dance (traditional performance): Refers specifically to the head of the unicorn used in the traditional "múa lân" (lion/unicorn dance), a vibrant performance common during festivals like Tết (Lunar New Year) and Tết Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival).

Usage Examples

• Verb (to encroach):

  • Không được lân sang đất của hàng xóm. (You must not encroach on the neighbor's land.)
  • Đừng để công việc lân sang giờ nghỉ ngơi. (Don't let work encroach on your rest time.)

• Verb (to take turns):

  • Hai anh em cắt lân nhau trông nhà. (The two brothers take turns watching the house.)
  • Chúng tôi lân nhau phát biểu. (We took turns speaking.)

• Noun (Phosphorus):

  • Phân lân rất quan trọng cho cây trồng. (Phosphorus fertilizer is very important for crops.)

• Noun (Unicorn dance):

  • Đoàn múa lân diễn rất đẹp mắt. (The unicorn dance troupe performed very beautifully.)
  • Tiếng trống múa lân rất rộn ràng. (The drum sound of the unicorn dance is very lively.)

Advanced Usage

• "Được đằng chân, lân đằng đầu" (idiom): Literally "give an inch, take a mile." Describes someone who, when given a small concession, takes advantage to demand or take much more.
  • Cậu ấy đúng là được đằng chân lân đằng đầu, cho mượn sách rồi đòi luôn vở. (He truly gives an inch and takes a mile; I lent him a book and then he asked for the notebook too.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kỳ lân / Kì lân (n): The full term for the mythical unicorn/kylin.
• Phân lân (n): Phosphate fertilizer.
• Lân la (v): To linger, to loiter around a place. (Note: This is a separate compound word).
  • Cậu bé lân la gần cửa hàng bánh. (The boy lingered near the bakery.)

Synonyms

• Verb (encroach): Xâm lấn, lấn chiếm.
• Verb (take turns): Thay phiên, luân phiên.
• Noun (phosphorus): Photpho (from French "phosphore").
• Noun (unicorn): Kỳ lân.

Related Phrases (Collocations)

• Múa lân / Múa sư tử: To perform the lion/unicorn dance. (Note: In Vietnamese context, "múa lân" often refers to what is internationally known as the lion dance, incorporating the mythical "lân" creature).
• Đội múa lân: A unicorn/lion dance troupe.
• Đầu lân: The head of the unicorn used in the dance.
• Cắt lân nhau: To alternate with each other, to take turns doing something.

Related Idioms

• "Được đằng chân, lân đằng đầu": As explained above, this is the primary idiom featuring the verb "lân." It warns against the tendency to overstep when given an opportunity.

Học thuật

verb

1. To encroach
   • được đằng chân lân đằng đầu
     give him an inch, he'll take a mile
2. To turn
   • cắt lân nhau trực nhật
     to be on duty by turns (in turn)

noun

1. Phosphorus
2. Unicorn, kylin
3. Paper unicornhead (used in a traditional dance)
   • tổ chức múa lân cho trẻ em xem
     to stage a unicorn dance for an audience of children Today, the dragon dance is no longer considered an entertainment reserved for children. Originating from China, it has become part of Vietnamese culture. It is performed not only during Tết or the Mid-Autumn Festival, but also on special occasions such as ground-breaking or inauguration ceremonies. It can be performed on the day when recruits leave their native towns for military units, or on other occasions. If you think that anyone can perform a Dragon Dance, you are mistaken. As an art, Dragon Dance has its principles and rules. A dragon dance usually lasts from 20 to 25 minutes. It consists of five episodes: In the first episode, the dragon appears on the stage; in the second, it exits; in the third, it enters again and rolls over the ground, then it kneels before the audience, and finally bows to the donors. For each episode, there is a different way of beating the drum. Accompanied by the cymbals, the drum sounds like that of a military march. And an expert can distinguish all the five basic feelings of humans (joy, anger, love, hatred and fear) depicted by the beatings of the drum. The drummer not only must be versed in his art, but also knows how to assess the situation. For example, when he sees that the owner of the building hangs the prize on the balcony of his house, the drummer must use the one-three rhythm (cac, bum, bum bum) As the dragon hears the drum change its rhythm, it grows more excited. But when the drum beating is slow, the dragon knows that it is time to wait and relax.A team of dragon dancers consists of thirty persons, as they have to take turns to play the main part. They have different occupations, but when the need arises, they gather at once at the rallying place. In the past, this was an occasion for amusement, not for money.