Definition

Verb: - To make one's living; to earn a living: The primary meaning of "mưu sinh" is the act of working or engaging in activities to secure the basic necessities of life (food, shelter, clothing). It implies striving to sustain one's existence. - To seek a livelihood: It conveys the idea of actively searching for or pursuing means to support oneself and one's family.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy phải mưu sinh từ khi còn rất trẻ. (He had to make his living from a very young age.)
  • Công việc mưu sinh vất vả khiến cô ấy luôn mệt mỏi. (The hard work of earning a living makes her constantly tired.)
  • Họ di cư đến thành phố để mưu sinh. (They migrated to the city to seek a livelihood.)

Advanced Usage

• "Cuộc mưu sinh": This noun phrase refers to "the struggle for livelihood" or "the life of making ends meet." It emphasizes the ongoing, often difficult, process.
  • Cuộc mưu sinh ở đô thị đầy thử thách. (The struggle for livelihood in the urban area is full of challenges.)
• "Kế mưu sinh": This noun phrase means "means of livelihood" or "source of income."
  • Nông nghiệp là kế mưu sinh chính của người dân nơi đây. (Agriculture is the main means of livelihood for the people here.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sinh kế (noun): Livelihood. A more formal or academic term for the means of securing the necessities of life.
  • Bảo vệ môi trường là bảo vệ sinh kế của người dân. (Protecting the environment is protecting the people's livelihood.)
• Kiếm sống (verb): To make a living. A more common, colloquial synonym.
  • Ông ấy kiếm sống bằng nghề sửa xe. (He makes a living as a bike repairman.)

Synonyms

• Làm ăn: To do business; to make a living (often with a connotation of trade or commerce).
• Mưu cầu sinh kế: To seek a livelihood (more formal).

Related Phrases (Collocations)

• Mưu sinh nơi đất khách: To earn a living in a foreign land.
  • Câu chuyện về những người mưu sinh nơi đất khách thật cảm động. (The stories of people earning a living in a foreign land are truly touching.)
• Gánh nặng mưu sinh: The burden of making a living.
  • Gánh nặng mưu sinh đè lên đôi vai người cha. (The burden of making a living weighs on the father's shoulders.)

Related Idioms

• "Một nắng hai sương": (Literally: one sun, two dews). This idiom describes arduous labor, often from early morning until late, and is closely associated with the hardship of "mưu sinh," especially in farming.
  • Cuộc sống mưu sinh một nắng hai sương của người nông dân. (The farmer's life of toiling from dawn to dusk to make a living.)

verb

1. to make one's living