Definition

1. Noun:
   • Life's hardships, the trials and tribulations of life: "nắng mưa" is a metaphorical compound noun referring to the difficulties, struggles, and unpredictable challenges one faces throughout life. It literally means "sunshine and rain," symbolizing all kinds of weather and, by extension, all the ups and downs of existence.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Nắng mưa thui thủi quê người một thân. (To face alone the life's hardships in a strange land.)
  • Trải qua bao nắng mưa cuộc đời, bà vẫn giữ được nụ cười hiền hậu. (Having gone through so many of life's hardships, she still maintains a gentle smile.)
  • Câu chuyện kể về những nắng mưa của người lính thời chiến. (The story tells of the trials and tribulations of a soldier during the war.)

Advanced Usage

• "dãi dầu nắng mưa": to be weathered by life's hardships, to endure many difficulties.
  • Gương mặt dãi dầu nắng mưa của người nông dân. (The farmer's face, weathered by life's hardships.)
• "nếm trải nắng mưa": to experience the hardships of life.
  • Anh ấy đã nếm trải đủ nắng mưa từ khi còn trẻ. (He has experienced enough of life's hardships since he was young.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nắng (n): sunshine.
• Mưa (n): rain.
• Gian nan (adj/n): difficult, hardship. (A close synonym for the metaphorical meaning of "nắng mưa").
• Vất vả (adj): hard, toilsome.

Synonyms

• Khó khăn: difficulties.
• Thử thách: challenges.
• Sóng gió cuộc đời: life's storms (another common metaphor).

Related Idioms

• "Nắng mưa là chuyện của trời": Hardships are a fact of life (literally: Sunshine and rain are the sky's business). This idiom expresses acceptance of life's inevitable difficulties.
  • Đừng buồn nữa, nắng mưa là chuyện của trời mà. (Don't be sad anymore, hardships are just a fact of life.)

1. Life's hardships.
   • "Nắng mưa thui thủi quê người một thân " (Nguyễn Du)
2. To face alone the life's hardships in a strange land