Definition

Adjective: - Living precariously; eking out a bare existence; living in a makeshift or temporary way without security or comfort. This term describes a state of unstable, insecure, and often impoverished living, where one merely survives from day to day.

Usage

• As an adjective: It is used to describe a lifestyle, condition, or situation. It is a formal and somewhat literary term, not commonly used in everyday conversation.
  • Cuộc sống cẩu an của những người vô gia cư thật đáng thương. (The precarious existence of homeless people is truly pitiful.)
  • Sau chiến tranh, nhiều gia đình phải sống một cuộc đời cẩu an. (After the war, many families had to live a hand-to-mouth existence.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in formal writing, literature, or historical contexts to evoke a vivid image of hardship and instability.
• It can be used metaphorically to describe non-physical situations, such as a temporary or unstable political arrangement or a fragile state of peace.
  • Hòa ước đó chỉ là một giải pháp cẩu an, không thể kéo dài. (That peace treaty is merely a stopgap solution; it cannot last.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sống cẩu an (verb phrase): To live precariously; to eke out a living.
  • Họ đã sống cẩu an trong nhiều năm trời. (They eked out a living for many years.)
• Cẩu thả (adj): Careless, sloppy, negligent. (Note: While both start with "cẩu" (dog), they are distinct words with different meanings. "Cẩu thả" implies a lack of care in action, while "cẩu an" implies insecurity in living conditions.)

Synonyms

• Bấp bênh: Unstable, precarious, uncertain.
• Tạm bợ: Makeshift, temporary, jerry-built.
• Chật vật: Struggling, having a hard time.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Sống qua ngày: To live from hand to mouth; to just get by each day.
  • Công việc không ổn định khiến anh ấy chỉ đủ sống qua ngày. (The unstable job only allows him to live from hand to mouth.)
• Đầu tắt mặt tối: To work extremely hard from dawn till dusk just to make ends meet.
  • Họ làm việc đầu tắt mặt tối nhưng cuộc sống vẫn cẩu an. (They work tirelessly from dawn till dusk, yet their life remains precarious.)