Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Industrious and thrifty: The primary meaning of "cần kiệm" describes a person's character as being both hardworking and careful with money or resources. It combines diligence in labor with frugality in spending.
   • Frugal and diligent: Emphasizes the dual qualities of being economical and consistently hardworking.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Ông ấy là một người rất cần kiệm. (He is a very industrious and thrifty person.)
  • Lối sống cần kiệm giúp gia đình họ vượt qua khó khăn. (An industrious and thrifty lifestyle helped their family overcome difficulties.)
  • Bà ấy dạy con cái phải biết cần kiệm. (She teaches her children to be industrious and thrifty.)

Advanced Usage

• "cần kiệm liêm chính": A common four-virtue phrase meaning "industrious, thrifty, honest, and upright," often used to describe ideal civic or official virtues.
  • Một công chức phải giữ đức tính cần kiệm liêm chính. (A public servant must uphold the virtues of being industrious, thrifty, honest, and upright.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cần cù (adj): diligent, hardworking. (Focuses only on the hardworking aspect).

  • Người nông dân cần cù. (The diligent farmer.)

• Tiết kiệm (adj, v): thrifty, economical; to save. (Focuses only on the thrifty/economical aspect).

  • Cô ấy tiết kiệm tiền để mua nhà. (She saves money to buy a house.)

Synonyms

• Frugal and diligent: Careful in spending and hardworking.
• Hardworking and economical: Emphasizes both labor and resource management.

Related Idioms

• Ăn cần ở kiệm: To live diligently and thriftily. This idiom directly uses the components of "cần kiệm" to describe a lifestyle.
  • Gia đình họ có truyền thống ăn cần ở kiệm. (Their family has a tradition of living diligently and thriftily.)

1. Industrious and thrifty