Definition

Verb: - To sit with one's knees drawn up to the chest: The primary meaning describes the physical posture of sitting with the legs bent and the knees pulled close to the body, often with the arms wrapped around them. - (Figurative) To be idle, inactive, or unable to act: An extended, figurative meaning describes a state of forced passivity, helplessness, or being constrained from taking action, often due to external circumstances.

Usage Examples

• Literal (Physical Posture):
  • Cô ấy ngồi bó gối trên ghế sofa, nhìn ra cửa sổ. (She sat with her knees drawn up on the sofa, looking out the window.)
  • Trời lạnh, đứa trẻ ngồi bó gối trong góc phòng. (It was cold; the child sat huddled in a corner of the room with knees drawn up.)
• Figurative (Inactivity/Helplessness):
  • Công ty đang bó gối chờ quyết định từ cơ quan quản lý. (The company is sitting idle, waiting for a decision from the regulatory agency.)
  • Không có vốn, anh ấy đành bó gối nhìn người khác làm ăn phát đạt. (With no capital, he could only sit helplessly and watch others prosper in business.)

Advanced Usage

• "Ngồi bó gối": This is the most common collocation, emphasizing the sitting posture that symbolizes waiting or inactivity.
  • Cả đội ngồi bó gối chờ thông báo huấn luyện viên. (The whole team sat waiting helplessly for the coach's announcement.)
• Used to describe a state of being stuck, with hands tied, or having no room to maneuver.
  • Tình thế hiện tại khiến chúng tôi hoàn toàn bó gối. (The current situation has left us completely unable to act.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bó giò/bó chân: A near-synonymous idiom with a stronger emphasis on being completely immobilized or restricted ("bó" = to bind/tie, "giò/chân" = leg). It is often used interchangeably with bó gối in its figurative sense.
  • Hắn ta đã bị bó giò bởi chính những tham vọng của mình. (He was hamstrung by his own ambitions.)
• Bó tay: Another related idiom meaning "to give up" or "to be at a complete loss" ("bó" = to bind, "tay" = hands).
  • Với vấn đề này, tôi thực sự bó tay. (With this problem, I'm completely at a loss.)

Synonyms

• Ngồi chờ: To sit and wait (neutral).
• Bất lực: Powerless, helpless (describes the state).
• Khoanh tay: To stand by idly (literally "to fold one's arms").

Related Idioms

• Bó gối ngồi chờ: To sit with knees drawn up and wait; emphasizes passive waiting.
  • Không còn kế hoạch nào khác, chúng tôi đành bó gối ngồi chờ. (With no other plan, we had no choice but to sit and wait helplessly.)
• The figurative usage aligns with the concept of being cornered or painted into a corner in English, though the Vietnamese idiom is more visually descriptive of a passive, hunched posture.

verb

1. (hình ảnh) to be unable to do