Definition

1. Verb:
   • To depend on, to rely on (someone): "nương bóng" means to seek shelter, support, or protection under the influence or power of another person. It implies a relationship where one person leans on another for safety, advancement, or benefit.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cậu ấy thành công là nhờ biết nương bóng người có thế lực. (He succeeded because he knew how to rely on a powerful person.)
  • Trong thời loạn lạc, dân thường thường phải nương bóng các thủ lĩnh địa phương. (During turbulent times, common people often had to depend on local leaders for protection.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a nuanced meaning of seeking patronage or attaching oneself to a benefactor, sometimes with a slightly passive or dependent connotation.
  • Anh ta chẳng có tài cán gì, chỉ giỏi nương bóng người khác mà thôi. (He has no real talent; he's just good at riding on others' coattails.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nương nhờ (verb): to rely on, to seek shelter with. This is a close synonym but can be used in broader contexts, including relying on institutions or abstract concepts.
  • Nương nhờ cửa Phật. (To take refuge in Buddhism / To become a monk/nun.)
• Dựa dẫm (verb): to lean on, to be overly dependent. This term has a more negative connotation of excessive dependence.
• Ỷ lại (verb): to rely on (often with a sense of complacency).

Synonyms

• Dựa vào: to rely on.
• Nhờ cậy: to call upon for help, to depend on.
• Trông cậy: to count on, to look to for support.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a compound verb, "nương bóng" itself functions as a phrasal unit. Related Vietnamese phrases often use the core verb "nương". - Nương theo: to follow along with, to go along with (e.g., a trend, a path). - Nương theo hướng gió mà đi. (To go along with the direction of the wind.) - Nương thân: to find a place to shelter oneself, to make a living temporarily. - Phải nương thân nơi đất khách quê người. (Having to shelter oneself in a foreign land.)

Related Idioms

• Nương bóng cờ người: Literally "to rely under another's flag". This idiom vividly expresses the idea of seeking protection or advancement under someone else's banner or authority.
  • Hắn ta chẳng có thực lực, cả đời chỉ biết nương bóng cờ người. (He has no real capability; his whole life has just been about depending on others' power.)

1. Depend on (rely on) another person