cỏng

Mẹ cỏng em bé trên lưng.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To carry on one's back (typically a child): The primary meaning of "cỏng" is to transport someone, usually a child, by carrying them on one's back, often with the person's legs wrapped around the carrier's waist or torso.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Mẹ cỏng em bé trên lưng. (The mother carries the baby on her back.)
  • Anh ấy cỏng đứa trẻ qua suối. (He carries the child across the stream on his back.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is specific to the method of carrying and implies a certain level of care or informal transport. It is less common in modern, urban contexts but remains in use.

Variants and Related Words

• Cõng: This is the more standard and widely used spelling and form of the verb with the same meaning: to carry on one's back.
  • Bố cõng con trên vai. (The father carries his child on his shoulders/back.)

Synonyms

• To carry on one's back: The direct descriptive synonym in English.
• To piggyback: While similar, "piggyback" often implies a more playful or informal context.

Notes

• The reference note "cỏngxem chết cỏng" suggests an idiomatic or fixed phrase. This likely points to the idiom "chết cỏng", which is an intensified expression meaning "to be dead tired" or "extremely exhausted," metaphorically comparing the fatigue to the burden of carrying a heavy load. However, "cỏng" itself is not commonly used independently in modern Vietnamese; the standard form is "cõng".