Definition

1. Verb:
   • To caress, to fondle: To show love or affection through gentle, tender, or loving physical touch or actions.
   • To show tender affection: To express deep, gentle love through one's manner, gestures, or tone of voice.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Người mẹ âu yếm ôm đứa con nhỏ. (The mother lovingly hugged her small child.)
  • Anh ấy âu yếm vuốt tóc cô ấy. (He tenderly stroked her hair.)
  • Giọng nói của cô ấy đầy âu yếm. (Her voice was full of tenderness.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often implies a deep, gentle, and protective form of love, commonly used within family relationships or romantic partnerships.
• It can describe an overall atmosphere or manner, not just a single action.

Variants and Related Words

• Yêu thương (v): To love. This is a broader term for love, while specifically implies tender, affectionate expression.
• Vỗ về (v): To soothe, to comfort with words or touch. This is close to but can have a stronger connotation of consoling.

Synonyms

• Caress: To touch or stroke gently in a loving way.
• Fondle: To handle tenderly or lovingly.
• Cherish: To hold dear; to treat with affection and care.
• Dote on: To be excessively fond of.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Âu yếm trìu mến: An intensified phrase meaning "to show deep, affectionate fondness."
  • Bà nội nhìn cháu với ánh mắt âu yếm trìu mến. (The grandmother looked at her grandchild with a deeply affectionate gaze.)

verb

1. To caress, to fondle
   • âu yếm một con búp bê
     to fondle a doll
   • cử chỉ âu yếm
     caressing manners
   • xem trong âu yếm có chiều lả lơi
     in the fondling, there is an inclination to lasciviousness