Definition

1. Noun:

   • A state of fond, tender, or wistful remembrance: A deep emotional longing or yearning for someone who is absent or for a past time or place, often with a sense of melancholy affection.

2. Verb (to feel "nhớ nhung"):

   • To long for / to yearn for: To experience a persistent, tender feeling of missing someone or something dear, characterized by fond memories and a sense of nostalgia.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Cô ấy cảm thấy một nỗi nhớ nhung sâu sắc về quê hương. (She feels a deep longing for her homeland.)
  • Những bức thư đầy nhớ nhung. (Letters full of yearning.)

• Verb (implied):

  • Anh ấy nhớ nhung người yêu cũ. (He longs for his old lover.)
  • Tôi nhớ nhung những ngày tháng thanh bình ấy. (I yearn for those peaceful days.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "nhớ nhung" often carries a more poetic, lingering, and tender connotation than the simpler verb "nhớ" (to miss/to remember). It implies a cherished, sometimes bittersweet, emotional attachment.

Variants and Related Words

• Nhớ (v): to miss, to remember. This is the root and more general term.

  • Tôi nhớ bạn. (I miss you.)

• Hoài niệm (n): reminiscence, nostalgia for the past.

  • Một chút hoài niệm về tuổi thơ. (A bit of nostalgia for childhood.)

• Thương nhớ (v/n): to affectionately miss; affectionate remembrance. Combines love (thương) and miss (nhớ).

  • Tấm lòng thương nhớ. (A heart full of affectionate longing.)

Synonyms

• Longing: A strong, persistent desire or yearning.
• Yearning: A deep, often melancholic desire.
• Nostalgia: A sentimental longing for the past.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Da diết nhớ nhung: To remember with a piercing, persistent longing.

  • Một tình yêu da diết nhớ nhung. (A love filled with piercing longing.)

• Mối tình nhớ nhung: A relationship or love characterized by separation and longing.

  • Họ sống trong một mối tình nhớ nhung qua những bức thư. (They lived a love of longing through letters.)

1. Have a fond remembrance (of someone, of some place)
   • Gợi nỗi nhớ nhung
     To evoke fond remembrances