giùi mài

Một học sinh đang giùi mài bài học dưới ánh đèn.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To study diligently and painstakingly; to apply oneself with great effort and perseverance to learning or intellectual work: The word describes a focused, sustained, and often arduous effort in studying, researching, or mastering a subject, typically academic or scholarly.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy đã giùi mài kinh sử suốt mười năm để đi thi. (He studied diligently the classics for ten years to take the imperial examinations.)
  • Muốn thành công trong lĩnh vực này, bạn phải giùi mài kiến thức mỗi ngày. (To succeed in this field, you must apply yourself diligently to acquiring knowledge every day.)
  • Cô sinh viên giùi mài trong thư viện để chuẩn bị cho kỳ thi quan trọng. (The student buried herself in study in the library to prepare for the important exam.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a classical or literary nuance, implying not just study but deep, contemplative, and prolonged engagement with texts or complex subjects. It suggests a process of honing one's mind or skills through persistent effort.

Variants and Related Words

• Chăm chỉ (adj/adv): diligent, hard-working. (A more common and general term for diligence.)
• Miệt mài (verb): to work/study tirelessly and with absorption. (Very close in meaning, often used interchangeably with , though can apply to a slightly broader range of focused activities.)
• Học hỏi (verb): to learn, to study. (A general term for the act of learning.)
• Nghiên cứu (verb): to research, to study in-depth.

Synonyms

• Cần mẫn: industrious, assiduous.
• Tận tụy học tập: to devote oneself to studying.
• Khổ công rèn luyện/ học tập: to train/study with great toil and effort.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Giùi mài đèn sách: A fixed literary phrase meaning "to burn the midnight oil (with books)," emphasizing diligent study late into the night.
  • Thời sinh viên, anh ấy đã trải qua những năm tháng giùi mài đèn sách. (During his student years, he went through a period of burning the midnight oil with books.)

Related Idioms

• Dùi mài kinh sử: (Note: "Dùi" is a common variant spelling of "giùi" in this context). This idiom specifically refers to the diligent study of Confucian classics and literature, a central activity for scholars in pre-modern Vietnam.
  • Các sĩ tử ngày xưa phải dùi mài kinh sử để mong đỗ đạt. (Scholars of the past had to diligently study the classics in hopes of passing the exams.)