Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Gentle and kind: Describes a person, especially a woman, whose nature, temperament, or behavior is characterized by softness, calmness, patience, and inherent kindness.
   • Mild and benign: Can describe something, such as a manner, voice, or look, that is soothing, tender, and not harsh.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cô ấy có tính cách rất dịu hiền. (She has a very gentle and kind personality.)
  • Người mẹ dịu hiền luôn an ủi con. (The gentle mother always comforts her child.)
  • Ánh mắt dịu hiền của cô làm tôi bình tâm lại. (Her gentle gaze calmed me down.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "dịu hiền" is often used in literary or descriptive contexts to evoke an ideal of feminine virtue, combining softness (dịu) with kindness (hiền). It is a compound adjective where both components reinforce a similar quality.

Variants and Related Words

• Hiền lành (adj): good-natured, gentle, and harmless.
  • Anh ấy là một người hiền lành. (He is a good-natured person.)
• Dịu dàng (adj): gentle, soft, tender (often describing manner or voice).
  • Giọng nói dịu dàng (a soft voice)

Synonyms

• Gentle: having a mild, kind, or tender temperament.
• Kind: having a friendly, generous, and considerate nature.
• Meek: quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on (can have a more submissive connotation).
• Benign: gentle and kindly (often formal).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Dịu như bông, hiền như đất: An idiom meaning "as soft as cotton, as gentle as earth," used to describe someone extremely gentle and unassuming.
  • Bà ấy dịu như bông, hiền như đất, chẳng bao giờ to tiếng. (She is as soft as cotton and as gentle as earth, never raising her voice.)

1. Gentle
   • Người mẹ dịu hiền
     A gentle mother