Definition

1. Verb (Phrasal Verb):
   • To work for hire / to do hired work: The primary meaning of "làm mướn" is to perform labor or services for someone else in exchange for a specific, agreed-upon payment (often daily or for a specific task). It implies temporary or casual work, not a permanent salaried position.
   • To hire oneself out: It can also describe the action of offering one's labor for hire.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Ông ấy đi làm mướn ở các nông trại. (He goes to work for hire on farms.)
  • Trước đây, bà tôi thường làm mướn cấy lúa cho người ta. (In the past, my grandmother often did hired work planting rice for people.)
  • Họ sống bằng nghề làm mướn. (They make a living by hiring themselves out for work.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "làm mướn" strongly conveys the idea of manual or physical labor exchanged for direct, often short-term, compensation. It is closely associated with agricultural, construction, or domestic help contexts.

Variants and Related Words

• Làm công (v): This is a direct synonym, also meaning to work as a laborer or for wages. "Làm mướn" and "làm công" are often used interchangeably.
• Làm thuê (v): To work for pay, to be employed. This can have a slightly broader application than "làm mướn," sometimes extending to more formal employment but still emphasizing the worker-for-hire relationship.
• Thợ mướn (n): A hired laborer; a worker for hire.

Synonyms

• To work as a hired hand/laborer: To do manual work for pay.
• To do casual labor: To perform temporary, unskilled, or semi-skilled work for payment.

Related Concepts

• The concept contrasts with being a permanent employee ("nhân viên chính thức") or a business owner ("chủ doanh nghiệp"). It describes a specific socioeconomic relationship of temporary wage labor.

1. như làm công