Definition

1. Noun:
   • Fishing rod: A long, slender, flexible rod, typically made of fiberglass, carbon fiber, or bamboo, used with a fishing line and hook to catch fish. It is a primary tool for the activity of angling.
   • Breadwinner, pot-boiler (slang, figurative): A job, profession, or means of earning a living, especially one that is relied upon for basic sustenance. This usage is derived from the idea of a "fishing rod for rice/meals," metaphorically representing a tool to secure one's livelihood.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Literal meaning):

  • Anh ấy mua một cây cần câu mới để đi câu cuối tuần. (He bought a new fishing rod to go fishing this weekend.)
  • Cần câu bằng tre rất nhẹ và dẻo dai. (Bamboo fishing rods are very light and flexible.)

• Noun (Figurative meaning):

  • Nghề giáo viên là cần câu cơm của anh ấy. (Teaching is his bread and butter.)
  • Trong thời buổi khó khăn, mọi người đều phải tìm cho mình một cần câu cơm. (In difficult times, everyone must find themselves a pot-boiler.)

Advanced Usage

• "cần câu cơm": A common idiomatic phrase meaning "a means of livelihood" or "a bread-winning job." It directly translates to "fishing rod for rice/meals," emphasizing the tool used to secure food/sustenance.
  • Anh ta coi chiếc máy tính như cần câu cơm của mình. (He considers his computer to be his breadwinner.)

Variants and Related Words

• Câu cá (verb phrase): To fish, to go fishing.

  • Chúng tôi thích câu cá vào sáng sớm. (We like to fish early in the morning.)

• Đồ câu cá (noun phrase): Fishing gear, fishing tackle.

  • Cửa hàng này bán đủ loại đồ câu cá. (This store sells all kinds of fishing gear.)

Synonyms

• Fishing pole: Another term for a fishing rod.
• Livelihood, occupation, profession: For the figurative meaning (cần câu cơm).

Related Phrases

• Kiếm cơm (verb phrase): To earn a living, to make a living (literally "to seek rice").
  • Ông ấy phải làm việc vất vả để kiếm cơm. (He has to work hard to earn a living.)

Related Idioms

• "Có cần câu mới câu được cá": Literally "You need a fishing rod to catch fish." This idiom emphasizes the necessity of having the right tools or means to achieve a goal, especially in the context of making a living.
  • Muốn kinh doanh online thì phải có kiến thức, đúng là có cần câu mới câu được cá. (To do online business, you need knowledge; it's true that you need the right tools for the job.)

1. Fishing-rod
   • Cần câu cơm (thông tục)
     A bread-winner, a pot-boiler