Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To work extremely hard; to toil diligently: This phrase describes putting in immense physical effort and dedication into a task, often involving manual labor or strenuous work. It implies a full commitment of one's body and energy.
   • To bend one's back (literally): The literal meaning refers to the physical act of rolling or bending one's back, often as a preparatory or integral part of hard labor.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Các công nhân lăn lưng ra xây dựng con đường mới. (The workers toiled diligently to build the new road.)
  • Bố mẹ đã lăn lưng làm việc cả đời để nuôi con ăn học. (My parents worked their fingers to the bone their whole lives to raise and educate their children.)
  • Muốn có mùa màng bội thu, người nông dân phải lăn lưng trên đồng. (To have a bountiful harvest, farmers must bend their backs in the fields.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a connotation of admirable, persistent effort in the face of difficulty. It is used to praise someone's work ethic or to describe the necessary effort to achieve something substantial.
• It can be used in a reflexive sense, emphasizing self-sacrifice for a goal or for others.

Variants and Related Words

• Lăn lộn (v): to struggle; to be engaged in rough, demanding activities or life experiences.
  • Anh ấy đã lăn lộn nhiều năm trong ngành xây dựng. (He has struggled for many years in the construction industry.)

Synonyms

• To toil: to work extremely hard or incessantly.
• To work one's fingers to the bone: to work very hard, especially manually.
• To bend over backwards: to make a great effort.
• To exert oneself: to put forth physical or mental energy.

Related Idioms

• Đổ mồ hôi, sôi nước mắt: (to shed sweat and boil tears) - a similar idiom emphasizing the hardship and sacrifice involved in hard work.
• Lăn lưng ra làm: a common full construction meaning "to throw oneself into work."
  • Cả đội lăn lưng ra làm để kịp tiến độ. (The whole team bent their backs to work to meet the deadline.)