Definition

1. Verb:
   • To work for one's living; to labor: The phrase "ăn làm" describes the fundamental act of working to earn a livelihood and sustain oneself.
   • To perform work; to be industrious: It conveys the general action of engaging in labor or being diligent in one's work.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tôi phải ăn làm để nuôi sống gia đình. (I have to work for a living to support my family.)
  • Ở đây, mọi người đều chăm chỉ ăn làm. (Here, everyone is diligent in their work.)

Advanced Usage

• "ăn thật làm giả": To work perfunctorily; to pretend to work hard while actually being lazy or doing a superficial job.

  • Anh ta có thói quen ăn thật làm giả, nên chẳng ai tin tưởng giao việc quan trọng. (He has a habit of working perfunctorily, so no one trusts him with important tasks.)

• "kẻ ăn người làm": A phrase describing a household or situation with a division between those who consume/benefit ("kẻ ăn") and those who labor ("người làm"), often referring to servants or domestic helpers.

  • Gia đình quý tộc ngày xưa thường có cảnh kẻ ăn người làm. (Noble families in the past often had the scene of masters and servants.)

• "ăn bợ làm biếng": To be a lazybones; to be idle and avoid work, often while relying on others.

  • Cậu ấy suốt ngày ăn bợ làm biếng, chẳng chịu giúp đỡ việc nhà. (He's a lazybones all day, never willing to help with housework.)

Variants and Related Words

• Làm ăn (verb phrase): To do business; to make a living. This is a common compound where the word order is reversed, shifting the focus to the activity of business or trade.
  • Họ sang nước ngoài làm ăn. (They went abroad to do business.)

Synonyms

• Lao động (verb): To labor.
• Làm việc (verb): To work.
• Vất vả mưu sinh (verb phrase): To toil for a living.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Ăn làm không ra hồn: To work extremely hard, to the point of exhaustion.
  • Mùa vụ này, nông dân ăn làm không ra hồn. (This harvest season, the farmers are working themselves to the bone.)

Related Idioms

• Ăn không ngồi rồi: To be idle; to sit around and do nothing (often contrasted with the diligence implied by "ăn làm").
  • Thanh niên mà ăn không ngồi rồi thì tương lai sẽ ra sao? (What future will there be for young people who are idle?)

verb

1. To work for one's living
   • ăn thật làm giả
     to work perfunctorily
   • kẻ ăn người làm
     the servants, the domestics
   • ăn bợ làm biếng
     to be a lazy-bones