Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Patiently enduring suffering or humiliation: "nhẫn nhục" describes the quality of enduring hardship, humiliation, or unpleasantness with patience and without complaint.
   • Resigned, forbearing: It implies a state of quiet acceptance and tolerance of difficult circumstances.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Người ấy đã sống một cuộc đời nhẫn nhục. (That person lived a life of patient endurance.)
  • Với thái độ nhẫn nhục, bà ấy chịu đựng mọi lời chỉ trích. (With a forbearing attitude, she endured all criticism.)
  • Sự nhẫn nhục của người mẹ thật đáng khâm phục. (The mother's resignation is truly admirable.)

Advanced Usage

• "sống nhẫn nhục": to live in patient endurance.

  • Họ phải sống nhẫn nhục dưới chế độ áp bức. (They had to live in patient endurance under the oppressive regime.)

• "chịu đựng một cách nhẫn nhục": to endure in a resigned manner.

  • Anh ấy chịu đựng nỗi đau một cách nhẫn nhục. (He endured the pain with resignation.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhẫn nại (adj): Patient, persevering. This word focuses more on patience and persistence in effort, while "nhẫn nhục" emphasizes enduring suffering or humiliation.

  • Cô ấy rất nhẫn nại khi dạy trẻ. (She is very patient when teaching children.)

• Chịu đựng (v): To endure, to bear. This is the verb for the act of enduring.

  • Anh ấy phải chịu đựng nhiều khó khăn. (He had to endure many difficulties.)

Synonyms

• Cam chịu: To accept and endure (often reluctantly).
• Kiên nhẫn chịu đựng: To endure patiently.

Related Phrases

• Nhẫn nhịn: To forbear, to hold back (one's anger or reaction). This is often used as a verb and focuses on restraining an immediate response.
  • Anh ấy đã nhẫn nhịn không nói gì. (He forbore and said nothing.)

Related Idioms

• "Nuốt hận": To swallow one's resentment/hatred. This idiom shares the concept of enduring humiliation but with a stronger focus on buried anger.

  • Vì gia đình, ông ấy đành nuốt hận. (For the sake of his family, he had to swallow his resentment.)

• "Nếm mật nằm gai": Literally "to taste gall and lie on thorns"; to endure extreme hardship and bitterness (often with the goal of eventual revenge or success).

  • Để trả thù, hắn nếm mật nằm gai suốt mười năm. (To take revenge, he endured extreme hardship for ten years.)

1. Swallow the bitter pill, eat the leek, endure all indignities