khố rách áo ôm
Definition
- Idiom:
- Extreme poverty; destitution: A figurative expression describing a state of utter poverty and hardship, where one's most basic clothing (loincloth and shirt) is torn and tattered. It emphasizes a condition of having nothing and being in dire need.
Usage Examples
- Idiom:
- Sau trận lũ, nhiều gia đình rơi vào cảnh khố rách áo ôm. (After the flood, many families fell into a state of utter destitution.)
- Câu chuyện kể về một người đàn ông khố rách áo ôm vươn lên thành công. (The story is about a man in rags who rose to success.)
Advanced Usage
- This idiom is often used in literary or descriptive contexts to evoke a strong image of poverty and social hardship. It can describe both material lack and a state of helplessness.
Variants and Related Words
Nghèo rớt mồng tơi (idiom): To be extremely poor; dirt poor.
- Họ sống trong một khu ổ chuột, thực sự nghèo rớt mồng tơi. (They live in a slum, truly dirt poor.)
Túng quẫn (adj): To be in dire straits; financially desperate.
- Hoàn cảnh túng quẫn khiến anh ta phải làm mọi việc. (The desperate circumstances forced him to do anything.)
Synonyms
- Destitution: A state of extreme poverty where the necessities of life are lacking.
- Poverty-stricken: Suffering from severe poverty.
- In rags: Dressed in old, torn clothes, symbolizing poverty.
Related Idioms
Ăn bữa hôm lo bữa mai: To live hand to mouth; to have no security for the future.
- Cuộc sống ăn bữa hôm lo bữa mai của họ thật đáng thương. (Their hand-to-mouth existence is truly pitiful.)
Đầu tắt mặt tối: To work incessantly from dawn till dusk just to make ends meet.
- Cha mẹ đầu tắt mặt tối để nuôi con ăn học. (The parents work themselves to the bone to feed and educate their children.)