Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Hard-working, toiling, industrious: Describes a person, life, or effort characterized by diligent, persistent, and often physically demanding work.

2. Noun (Archaic/Literary):

   • Labour, labourers, the toiling class: Refers to the act of labour or, collectively, to the class of people who perform manual or strenuous work (e.g., workers and peasants).

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Ông ấy sống một đời sống cần lao. (He lived a hard-working life.)
  • Những người nông dân cần lao. (The hard-working farmers.)

• Noun:

  • Giai cấp cần lao. (The labouring classes.)
  • Sự cần lao của họ đáng được trân trọng. (Their toil is worthy of respect.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "cần lao" often carries a formal, literary, or slightly dated tone and is frequently used in historical, sociological, or poetic contexts to evoke the virtue and dignity of manual labour.

Variants and Related Words

• Lao động (n, v): Labour, work; to labour. This is the modern, standard term for "labour" or "to work."

  • Lao động chân tay. (Manual labour.)

• Cần cù (adj): Diligent, industrious. A close synonym for the adjectival sense, often implying careful, persistent effort.

  • Một học sinh cần cù. (A diligent student.)

Synonyms

• Adjective: Hard-working, industrious, diligent, toiling.
• Noun: Labour, toil, the working class, the labouring masses.

Related Idioms

• While "cần lao" itself is not commonly used in idioms, it relates to the concept of:
  • Đầu tắt mặt tối: To work from dawn till dusk, to be extremely busy with work.

    • Họ làm việc đầu tắt mặt tối để nuôi gia đình. (They work tirelessly to support their family.)

adj

1. Hard-working, toiling
   • một đời sống cần lao
     a hard-working life

noun

1. như lao động
   • giai cấp cần lao
     the labouring classes (workers and peasants)