Definition

1. Verb:
   • To shelter and support; to give succor: The primary meaning of "cưu mang" is to provide help, shelter, and care for someone in a difficult or needy situation, often implying a deep, compassionate responsibility.
   • To be pregnant; to carry a child (archaic/literary): An older, literary meaning refers to the physical act of carrying a child in the womb.

Usage Examples

• Verb (to shelter and support):
  • Bà ấy đã cưu mang đứa trẻ mồ côi. (She sheltered and cared for the orphaned child.)
  • Trong chiến tranh, nhiều gia đình đã cưu mang nhau. (During the war, many families supported each other.)
• Verb (to be pregnant - archaic):
  • Chín tháng cưu mang là một hành trình thiêng liêng. (The nine months of pregnancy is a sacred journey.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often conveys a sense of moral duty and long-term, protective care, beyond simple, temporary help. It is commonly used in contexts of charity, kinship, or community solidarity.

Variants and Related Words

• Đùm bọc (v): to shelter and protect, very close in meaning to "cưu mang" in its modern usage.
• Che chở (v): to shield and protect.
• Mang thai (v): to be pregnant (the standard modern term for the biological state).

Synonyms

• To shelter: to give refuge.
• To support: to provide for.
• To foster: to care for someone not biologically one's own.
• To be pregnant: to carry a fetus (for the archaic sense).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Cưu mang đùm bọc: A common paired phrase emphasizing the acts of sheltering and wrapping someone in care.
  • Tinh thần cưu mang đùm bọc của cộng đồng thật đáng quý. (The community's spirit of mutual shelter and support is truly precious.)

verb

1. to bear; to be pregnant