Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cherish, to treasure, to hold dear: To treat someone or something with great affection, tenderness, and loving care, often implying gentle handling and deep emotional value.
   • To nurture delicately, to foster with care: To support, encourage, or develop something (e.g., a talent, a relationship, a project) with attentive and gentle care.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Mẹ nâng niu con. (The mother cherishes her child.)
  • Anh ấy nâng niu bức ảnh cũ của gia đình. (He treasures the old family photo.)
  • Giáo viên nâng niu tài năng của học sinh. (The teacher nurtures the student's talent with care.)

Advanced Usage

• The verb often implies a physical gentleness (like holding something fragile) combined with deep emotional fondness. It is used for both people and abstract concepts like hopes, dreams, or memories.
  • Cô ấy nâng niu hy vọng về một tương lai tốt đẹp hơn. (She cherishes the hope for a better future.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nâng (v): to lift, to raise. This is the root verb implying upward movement.
• Niu (v, archaic/poetic): to hold, to keep close. Combined with "nâng," it intensifies the meaning of gentle, loving holding.

Synonyms

• Cherish: To protect and care for lovingly.
• Treasure: To keep or regard as precious.
• Coddle: To treat in an indulgent or overprotective way (can have a slightly negative connotation, whereas "nâng niu" is generally positive).
• Foster: To encourage the development of something.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Nâng như nâng trứng, hứng như hứng hoa: (To hold as if holding an egg, to catch as if catching a flower) An idiom describing extremely careful and delicate treatment, often used in parallel with the concept of "nâng niu."
  • Cô ấy chăm sóc bộ sưu tập với thái độ "nâng như nâng trứng, hứng như hứng hoa". (She cares for her collection with an attitude of handling things with utmost delicacy.)

1. Take a loving care of
   • Mẹ nâng niu con
     A mother that takes a loving care of her baby