má hồng

Vietnamese

Etymology

má +‎ hồng.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [maː˧˦ həwŋ͡m˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [maː˨˩˦ həwŋ͡m˦˩]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [maː˦˥ həwŋ͡m˨˩]

Noun

má hồng • (𦟐紅)

1. rosy cheeks; (figurative) young and beautiful women
   • 1820, Nguyễn Du (阮攸), Đoạn trường tân thanh (Truyện Kiều)‎^[1], published 1866, lines 5–6:

     𨔍(Lạ)之(gì)彼(bỉ)嗇(sắc)斯(tư)豊(phong)
     𡗶(Trời)撑(xanh)涓(quen)貝(với)𦟐(má)紅(hồng)打(đánh)㭴(ghen)

     It’s not strange that beauty may beget misery.
     The jealous gods tend to heap spites on rosy-cheeked beauties.