Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Dutiful and loyal: Describes a person who fulfills their filial duties to parents and family with deep respect and unwavering loyalty.
   • Pious and faithful: (Archaic/Literary) Characterized by devout respect and steadfast fidelity, especially within family and moral obligations.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Người con hiếu nghĩa luôn chăm sóc cha mẹ chu đáo. (A dutiful and loyal child always takes meticulous care of their parents.)
  • Truyền thống hiếu nghĩa là nền tảng của gia đình Việt Nam. (The tradition of filial piety and loyalty is the foundation of the Vietnamese family.)
  • Anh ấy là một người bạn hiếu nghĩa, không bao giờ phản bội. (He is a loyal and faithful friend who never betrays.)

Advanced Usage

• "Lòng hiếu nghĩa": Filial piety and sense of loyalty. This noun phrase refers to the abstract quality or virtue itself.

  • Lòng hiếu nghĩa đối với cha mẹ là điều vô cùng quan trọng. (Filial piety towards parents is extremely important.)

• "Có hiếu có nghĩa": To be both filial and righteous. This is a common four-word idiom that reinforces the combined virtues.

  • Dân làng đều khen ngợi cô ấy là người có hiếu có nghĩa. (The villagers all praise her as a person who is both filial and righteous.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hiếu thảo (adj): Filial, devoted to one's parents. This word focuses more specifically on the duty to parents.

  • Cô ấy là một đứa con rất hiếu thảo. (She is a very filial child.)

• Trung nghĩa (adj): Loyal and righteous. This word shifts the focus to loyalty, often to a leader or the country.

  • Một bề tôi trung nghĩa. (A loyal and righteous subject.)

Synonyms

• Có hiếu: Filial.
• Trung thành: Loyal, faithful.
• Tận tụy: Devoted, dedicated.

Related Idioms

• "Uống nước nhớ nguồn": Literally "When drinking water, remember its source." This idiom conveys a similar sense of gratitude and loyalty to one's origins and benefactors, which is closely related to the spirit of "hiếu nghĩa."

  • Chúng ta phải biết uống nước nhớ nguồn. (We must know to remember our origins when drinking water.)

• "Ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây": Literally "When eating the fruit, remember the tree planter." Another idiom emphasizing gratitude and remembrance, aligning with the "nghĩa" (righteousness, obligation) aspect.

  • Bài học ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây là rất sâu sắc. (The lesson of remembering the tree planter when eating the fruit is very profound.)

1. Dutiful and loyal