Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To live off someone / to be dependent on someone for food and shelter: The primary meaning of "ăn nhờ" is to temporarily reside and eat at someone else's home, relying on their hospitality and resources without paying.
   • To sponge off / to mooch off: In a more informal or negative sense, it can imply taking advantage of another person's generosity for one's own sustenance over a period.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Sau trận bão, cả gia đình tôi phải đi ăn nhờ ở nhà bác. (After the storm, my whole family had to go and live off my uncle.)
  • Anh ta không chịu đi làm, suốt ngày ăn nhờ ở nhà bạn. (He refuses to get a job and just sponges off his friend all day.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a nuance of temporary necessity or, conversely, of exploitation. The context and tone determine whether it is seen as a neutral description of receiving help or a criticism of freeloading behavior.

Variants and Related Words

• Ăn bám (v): to be a parasite, to live off others in a more explicitly negative and long-term sense.
  • Đứa con trai lớn vẫn còn ăn bám bố mẹ. (The eldest son is still living as a parasite off his parents.)

Synonyms

• To sponge off: To obtain something from others without paying or working for it.
• To live off someone's charity: To depend on another's goodwill for basic needs.
• To be a dependent: To rely on another for financial support.

Related Idioms

• Ăn nhờ ở đậu: A common extended idiom meaning "to lodge and board temporarily," explicitly combining the ideas of eating ("ăn") and staying ("ở").
  • Chúng tôi về quê, phải đi ăn nhờ ở đậu hết nhà nọ đến nhà kia. (We went back to our hometown and had to lodge and board temporarily, moving from one house to another.)