Definition

1. Verb:
   • To carry someone on one's shoulders: The primary meaning of "công kênh" is the act of lifting and carrying a person, typically a child, on one's shoulders, allowing them to sit high up.
   • To elevate, to put on a pedestal (figurative): In a figurative sense, it can mean to excessively praise, favor, or elevate someone, often beyond their actual merit or position.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Bố thường công kênh con trai để nó có thể nhìn thấy đoàn diễu hành. (The father often carries his son on his shoulders so he can see the parade.)
  • Đứa trẻ rất thích được công kênh. (The child loves being carried on shoulders.)
  • Ông chủ không nên công kênh nhân viên nào đó một cách thiên vị. (The boss should not favoritively elevate a certain employee.)

Advanced Usage

• Figurative Use: Used to describe the act of giving someone undue special treatment, status, or praise.
  • Báo chí đang công kênh ngôi sao điện ảnh mới này. (The press is putting this new movie star on a pedestal.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cõng (verb): To carry on one's back. This is a related action but differs in how the person is carried (on the back vs. on the shoulders).
• Bế (verb): To carry in one's arms.
• Đỡ (verb): To support, to hold up. Shares the concept of elevation but not specifically on the shoulders.

Synonyms

• Khiêng (verb): To carry (usually a heavy object by multiple people). While "khiêng" involves carrying, it is not specific to carrying a person on one's shoulders.
• Nâng niu, đề cao (verbs): To cherish, to esteem. These are synonyms primarily for the figurative meaning of excessive praise or elevation.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: "Công kênh" itself is not typically broken into phrasal verb components in Vietnamese. It functions as a single compound verb.

Related Idioms

• Công kênh lên mây xanh: An intensified figurative idiom meaning to praise or elevate someone to an extremely high, almost unrealistic degree.
  • Bài báo đó công kênh anh ta lên tận mây xanh. (That article praised him to the skies.)