Người tựa cửa

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person leaning by the door: A classical and literary term depicting a mother leaning against the door or gate, gazing into the distance while waiting for her child to return. It symbolizes a mother's deep longing, patient devotion, and anxious concern for her absent child.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • "Xót người tựa cửa hôm mai." (My heart aches for the person leaning by the door day and night.)
  • Hình ảnh "người tựa cửa" thường gợi lên nỗi nhớ con da diết. (The image of "the person leaning by the door" often evokes a mother's profound longing for her child.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is primarily used in classical Vietnamese poetry and literature to evoke a specific, poignant emotional scene. It is a fixed, metaphorical image rather than a description of a literal action.

Cultural and Literary Context

• The phrase originates from an ancient Chinese anecdote, later adopted into Vietnamese literary tradition, most famously in Nguyễn Du's . It is a quintessential symbol of maternal love and the sorrow of separation.

Synonyms

• Anxious mother: A mother filled with worry.
• Waiting mother: A mother who waits.
• Yearning parent: A parent who longs for a child's return.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Mẹ tựa cửa trông con: (Mother leans by the door waiting for her child.) A more explicit, modern paraphrase of the same concept.
• Cửa trông, ngõ ngóng: (Gazing from the door, watching from the lane.) Describes the act of anxiously watching and waiting.