Definition

1. Verb:
   • To lean on, to rely on: To depend on someone for physical, emotional, or spiritual support, often implying a close, trusting relationship.
   • To take refuge in, to resort to: To seek shelter, comfort, or support from a person, place, or belief.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Trong lúc khó khăn, cô ấy luôn nương tựa vào gia đình. (In times of difficulty, she always leans on her family.)
  • Người già thường nương tựa vào con cháu. (The elderly often depend on their children and grandchildren.)
  • Anh ấy tìm thấy sự bình yên khi nương tựa vào đức tin. (He finds peace by taking refuge in his faith.)

Advanced Usage

• "nơi nương tựa": A place of refuge/support; a mainstay.
  • Gia đình là nơi nương tựa vững chắc nhất. (Family is the most solid place of refuge.)
• "sống nương tựa": To live in dependence on someone.
  • Hai bà cháu sống nương tựa vào nhau. (The grandmother and grandchild live depending on each other.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nương cậy (verb): A near-synonym meaning to rely on, to depend on. It often carries a similar sense of trust and dependence.
  • Cô ấy nương cậy vào sự giúp đỡ của bạn bè. (She relies on the help of her friends.)
• Nương náu (verb): To take shelter, to seek refuge (often from danger or hardship).
  • Họ phải nương náu trong rừng để tránh giặc. (They had to take shelter in the forest to avoid the enemy.)
• Nương thân (verb): To make a living or find a place to stay, implying a temporary or basic reliance.
  • Anh ta đến thành phố tìm nơi nương thân. (He went to the city to find a place to stay/make a living.)

Synonyms

• Dựa vào: To rely on, to lean on (can be used more generally, including for objects or abstract concepts).
• Trông cậy: To count on, to place hope and trust in someone.
• Nhờ cậy: To seek help from, to depend on someone's assistance.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a single verb, "nương tựa" itself is not typically broken into phrasal verbs in Vietnamese. Its meaning is often conveyed through the structure "[Subject] + nương tựa + vào + [Object]".

Related Idioms

• "Nương tựa lẫn nhau": To lean on each other, to be mutually dependent.
  • Trong cuộc sống, mọi người thường phải nương tựa lẫn nhau. (In life, people often have to lean on each other.)
• "Bấu víu nương tựa": To cling to for support (emphasizes a desperate or strong need for reliance).
  • Đứa trẻ bấu víu nương tựa vào mẹ. (The child clings to his mother for support.)

1. Lean on, depend on (somebody)