hữu sinh vô dưỡng
Definition
- Idiom (Thành ngữ):
- To give birth but not to raise; to beget but not to nurture: This idiom describes the situation of having biological children but being unable or unwilling to raise, care for, and educate them. It implies a failure of parental responsibility after birth.
Usage Examples
- Idiom:
- Ông ta có nhiều con nhưng lại hữu sinh vô dưỡng, để mặc chúng sống lang thang. (He has many children but gives birth without raising them, letting them live as vagrants.)
- Câu chuyện đó là một minh chứng cho sự hữu sinh vô dưỡng đáng lên án. (That story is evidence of a condemnable act of begetting without nurturing.)
- Hành vi hữu sinh vô dưỡng để lại hậu quả nặng nề cho xã hội. (The behavior of bearing children without raising them leaves severe consequences for society.)
Advanced Usage
- This idiom is used in formal or literary contexts to critically describe a serious social issue or a profound moral failing. It carries a strong negative judgment.
- It can be used as a predicate (e.g., ) or as a noun phrase (e.g., ).
Variants and Related Words
- Sinh con (verb phrase): to give birth.
- Nuôi dưỡng (verb): to nurture, to raise.
- Vô trách nhiệm (adjective): irresponsible.
Synonyms
- Sinh mà không dưỡng: A literal, non-idiomatic paraphrase meaning "to give birth but not to nurture."
- Bỏ mặc con cái: To abandon/neglect one's children.
Related Idioms
- Sinh con rồi mới sinh cha, sinh cháu giữ nhà rồi mới sinh ông: (Proverb) Literally "A child is born before a father is 'born', a grandchild is born to keep the house before a grandfather is 'born'." It humorously suggests that one truly becomes a parent/grandparent through the act of raising and caring for the child, not just through biological birth. This proverb contrasts with by emphasizing the importance of nurturing.