Definition

1. Verb:

   • To help / to assist: To perform an action on someone's behalf or to aid them.
   • To protect / to guard: To keep safe from harm or danger.

2. Noun:

   • Household: A family or group of people living together, considered as a single unit for administrative purposes (e.g., by the government).
   • Civil / legal (adjective): Relating to civil law, particularly concerning property and non-property relations between socialist organizations, or between these organizations and citizens.

3. Preposition / Adverbial particle:

   • For (someone): Used to indicate that an action is done as a favor or on behalf of another person.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Bạn có thể đóng cửa hộ tôi được không? (Can you close the door for me?)
  • Quân đội có nhiệm vụ hộ quốc an dân. (The military has the duty to protect the nation and bring peace to the people.)

• Noun:

  • Khu phố này có khoảng một trăm hộ gia đình. (This neighborhood has about one hundred households.)
  • Vụ việc đó thuộc về luật hộ. (That matter falls under civil law.)

• Preposition / Particle:

  • Tôi đã mua vé hộ anh ấy. (I bought the ticket for him.)

Advanced Usage

• "hộ tống": to escort, to convoy.

  • Chiến hạm hộ tống tàu buôn. (The warship escorted the merchant ship.)

• "hộ thân": to act as a bodyguard, to protect personally.

  • Vệ sĩ có nhiệm vụ hộ thân. (The bodyguard's duty is personal protection.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hộ đê (v): to protect/dyke; the act of guarding or reinforcing river dikes.

  • Nhân dân cả vùng ra hộ đê. (The people of the whole region went out to protect the dikes.)

• Hộ khẩu (n): household registration booklet.

  • Giấy tờ này cần có đóng dấu trong hộ khẩu. (This document requires a stamp in the household registration book.)

Synonyms

• Help / Assist: to aid.
• Protect / Guard: to defend.
• Household: family unit.
• For (someone): on behalf of.

Related Idioms

• Hộ giá: to escort the king/emperor (historically); to protect a high-ranking person.

  • Đội quân tinh nhuệ có nhiệm vụ hộ giá. (The elite troops had the duty to escort the emperor.)

• Làm hộ: to do something as a favor for someone.

  • Nhờ cô ấy làm hộ bài tập. (Ask her to do the homework as a favor.)

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