Definition

Noun: - Benefactor, benefactress: A person who has done a kindness or favor for someone else, creating a relationship where the recipient feels gratitude and a moral debt. This term carries a strong sense of moral obligation and lasting gratitude in Vietnamese culture.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông ấy chính là ân nhân đã cứu mạng tôi. (He is the benefactor who saved my life.)
  • Cô ấy luôn nhớ ơn những ân nhân đã giúp đỡ mình. (She always remembers the kindness of her benefactors who helped her.)
  • Gia đình tôi coi bác sĩ như một ân nhân. (My family regards the doctor as a benefactor.)

Advanced Usage

• The term ân nhân implies a deep, often lifelong, sense of gratitude and moral debt (). It is a more profound and personal term than the more general (helper).
• It is commonly used in formal, literary contexts or in sincere speech to express profound respect and indebtedness.

Variants and Related Words

• Ơn nhân: An older, less common variant with the same meaning.
• Ân nhân của đời tôi: A poetic and intense phrase meaning "the benefactor of my life."
• Người có ơn: A more direct phrase meaning "a person to whom one owes a favor."

Synonyms

• Người làm ơn: Literally "the person who did the favor." A more descriptive synonym.
• Ân chủ: An archaic term with a similar meaning, sometimes implying a patron.
• Bậc ân nhân: A respectful form, adding "bậc" (rank, level) to show high regard.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây, uống nước nhớ nguồn: (When eating the fruit, remember the planter; when drinking water, remember the source.) This proverb encapsulates the cultural virtue of remembering and repaying one's ân nhân.
• Mang ơn: To be indebted to someone.
  • Tôi mang ơn ân nhân ấy suốt đời. (I am indebted to that benefactor for life.)
• Đền ơn đáp nghĩa: To repay a debt of gratitude.
  • Chúng tôi sẽ tìm cách đền ơn đáp nghĩa ân nhân. (We will find a way to repay our benefactor.)

noun

1. Benefactor, benefactress