Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To keep in one's heart / to cherish in memory: To hold something (a thought, feeling, memory, or person) dearly and thoughtfully within oneself, often with a sense of enduring affection, gratitude, or sentimental remembrance.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Cô ấy luôn để dạ lời khuyên của mẹ. (She always keeps her mother's advice in her heart.)
  • Tôi sẽ để dạ sự giúp đỡ của anh. (I will cherish your help in my memory.)
  • Kỷ niệm đẹp ấy, tôi để dạ suốt đời. (I will keep that beautiful memory in my heart for life.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often implies a quiet, personal, and profound form of remembrance, more intimate than simply "remembering." It suggests the memory is stored in a place of emotional significance ("dạ" is an older, more literary word for heart/mind).

Synonyms

• To cherish (a memory): To hold something dear.
• To hold in one's heart: To remember with deep feeling.
• To treasure (in one's mind/heart): To value a memory highly.

Related Idioms

• Để bụng: To bear a grudge (literally: to keep in the stomach). This is a related but distinct phrase, usually with a negative connotation of holding onto resentment.
  • Anh ấy hay để bụng những chuyện nhỏ. (He often bears grudges over small matters.)