nhín
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb:
- To save or set aside (a portion): To deliberately keep a small amount of something, typically food or resources, for future use instead of consuming or using it all immediately. This implies frugality and planning.
- To use sparingly or with restraint: To consume or use something in a careful, moderate, and economical way to avoid waste.
Adjective (dialectal):
- Frugal; sparing: Describes a manner of consumption or use that is characterized by moderation and thrift.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Mẹ nhín ít gạo để ngày mai. (Mother saved a little rice for tomorrow.)
- Chúng tôi phải nhín ăn trong mùa đông. (We had to eat sparingly during the winter.)
- Adjective:
- Bà ấy ăn uống rất nhín. (She eats very frugally.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "nhín" is often considered dialectal or regional in usage. It carries a strong connotation of communal care and sharing within a context of scarcity.
- "nhín lại": to save back, to reserve. This phrasal form emphasizes the action of putting something aside.
- Hãy nhín lại chút đường cho bữa tối. (Please save back a little sugar for dinner.)
Variants and Related Words
- Nhường (v): to yield, to give way. While "nhín" can imply "to yield" in the sense of saving for others, "nhường" is the more standard term for yielding a seat or position.
- Dành dụm (v): to save up, to accumulate. This is a more common synonym for saving resources over time, but lacks the immediate, portion-by-portion nuance of "nhín".
Synonyms
- To set aside: To reserve for a particular purpose.
- To ration: To allow only a fixed amount of something.
- To be frugal: To be sparing or economical with resources.
Related Idioms
- Ăn nhín (to eat sparingly): This common phrase encapsulates the core meaning of using restraint, especially with food.
- Thời kỳ khó khăn, cả nhà phải ăn nhín. (During the difficult period, the whole family had to eat sparingly.)
- (địa phương) Lay by part of, save
- Nhín ít gạo để ngày maiTo lay by part of rice for tomorrow