Definition

1. Verb:
   • To pray silently or in a low voice: To offer a prayer or make a supplication to a deity, spirit, or higher power, typically done quietly, under one's breath, or in a whisper, often with a sense of personal urgency or deep sincerity.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Bà lão cầu khấn trước bàn thờ tổ tiên. (The old woman prayed silently before the ancestral altar.)
  • Anh ấy cầu khấn thần linh phù hộ cho chuyến đi an toàn. (He prayed under his breath to the spirits for a safe journey.)
  • Trong lúc nguy cấp, cô ấy chỉ biết cầu khấn. (In the moment of crisis, she could only pray silently.)

Advanced Usage

• "Cầu khấn âm thầm": To pray in complete silence or secrecy.

  • Cô ấy cầu khấn âm thầm cho sức khỏe của con mình. (She prayed in complete silence for her child's health.)

• "Cầu khấn khẩn thiết": To pray with great earnestness or urgency.

  • Người dân cầu khấn khẩn thiết trước cơn bão. (The people prayed with great urgency before the storm.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cầu nguyện (Verb): To pray. This is a more general term for prayer and can be done aloud or silently.

  • Họ cầu nguyện trong nhà thờ. (They prayed in the church.)

• Khấn (Verb): To pray, to make an offering/vow (often to spirits, ancestors, or at temples/pagodas). This word is often used in similar contexts to "cầu khấn" but can stand alone.

  • Bà ta khấn vái trước khi đi xa. (She prayed and bowed before going far away.)

Synonyms

• Thầm cầu (Verb): To pray silently/to make a silent wish.
• Cầu xin (Verb): To beg, to plead, to pray for something. This often implies a stronger sense of asking or begging.

Related Phrases

• "Cầu khấn Phật trời": A common phrase meaning to pray to Buddha/heaven (i.e., to all higher powers).
  • Mọi việc giờ chỉ biết cầu khấn Phật trời. (Now we can only pray to Buddha and heaven for everything.)

Related Idioms

• "Cầu khấn đủ điều": To pray for all sorts of things; to make many prayers or requests.
  • Đến chùa, bà ấy cầu khấn đủ điều. (At the pagoda, she prayed for all sorts of things.)

1. Pray under one's breath