Definition

1. Adverb:

   • Resignedly / Reluctantly: Used to express acceptance of an undesirable or unavoidable situation, often with a sense of having no better alternative.
   • Obviously / Of course: Used to concede a point or acknowledge something as evident or logically necessary.

2. Verb (archaic/formal):

   • To resign oneself to / To reconcile oneself to: To accept something unpleasant that one cannot change.

Usage Examples

• Adverb (Resignedly):

  • Không có áo bông đành chịu rét. (For want of a cotton-padded coat, he resigned himself to suffer from the cold.)
  • Xe hỏng rồi, đành đi bộ vậy. (The car broke down, so we'll just have to walk [resignedly].)

• Adverb (Obviously):

  • Đành rằng anh ấy có lỗi, nhưng anh ấy cũng đã xin lỗi rồi. (Granted/Obviously he was at fault, but he has already apologized.)
  • Muốn giỏi, đành phải luyện tập nhiều. (If you want to be good, you obviously have to practice a lot.)

Advanced Usage

• "Đành lòng": To be willing (often reluctantly) to accept; to reconcile one's heart/mind to something.

  • Cô ấy không đành lòng bỏ đứa bé khóc một mình. (She couldn't bring herself to leave the crying baby alone.)

• "Đành phải" / "Đành phải...": A common structure meaning "have no choice but to..." or "must reluctantly...".

  • Trời mưa, chúng tôi đành phải hủy buổi dã ngoại. (It was raining, so we had no choice but to cancel the picnic.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đành hanh / Đanh đá (adj): Sharp-tongued, shrewish, tart (describes a person, usually a woman, with a harsh, scolding manner).
  • Bà ta nổi tiếng là người đanh đá. (She is famous for being sharp-tongued.)

Synonyms

• Resignedly: Reluctantly, with resignation.
• Grudgingly: In a reluctant or unwilling manner.
• Necessarily: As a necessary result; inevitably.
• Concededly: Admittedly.

Related Idioms

• "Đành đoạn": To settle a matter definitively, often with a sense of finality or sacrifice.

  • Họ đành đoạn chia tay. (They finally/resignedly broke up.)

• "Biết đành" / "Chịu đành": To know and accept (an unpleasant fact).

  • Biết đành là vậy, nhưng trong lòng vẫn buồn. (I know and accept that's how it is, but I'm still sad inside.)

1. Make up one's mind t, reconcile oneself to, resign oneself tọ
   • Không có áo bông đành chịu rét
     For want of a cotton-padded coat, he resigned himself to suffer from cold
2. đanh đá
3. Sharp-tongued, shrewish