Definition

1. Noun:
   • A very young child, especially an infant or toddler: "con mọn" refers to a small child, typically one who is still very young and requires constant care and attention from its mother or caregiver.
   • A young child as a responsibility: The term emphasizes the child's state of dependency, highlighting them as a primary charge or duty that limits the caregiver's freedom.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Chị ấy bận con mọn nên không đi làm được. (She is busy with a small child so she cannot go to work.)
  • Những bà mẹ có con mọn thường rất vất vả. (Mothers with very young children often have a very hard time.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "con mọn" is often used in contexts describing the constraints or responsibilities of parenthood, particularly motherhood, during the early years of a child's life. It carries a nuance of the child being a significant, time-consuming obligation.

Variants and Related Words

• Trẻ mọn (n): A less common variant with the same meaning, also referring to a very young child.
• Trẻ nhỏ (n): A more general term for a small or young child.
• Trẻ sơ sinh (n): Specifically refers to a newborn infant.

Synonyms

• Trẻ thơ: Young child, infant (often with a poetic or tender connotation).
• Em bé: Baby, infant (a common, neutral term).

Notes on Usage

• "Con mọn" is a somewhat dated or literary term in modern Vietnamese. In everyday conversation, terms like "em bé" or "trẻ nhỏ" are more frequently used.
• It is almost exclusively used to describe human children and is not used for young animals.
• The term inherently implies a caregiving relationship and is rarely used in a standalone, descriptive manner without context about responsibility or constraint (e.g., "bận con mọn" - busy with a small child).

1. Small child (as a charge for its mother)
   • bận con mọn không đi học lớp ban đêm được
     to be unable to attend the evening class because one is busy with a small child