Definition

1. Verb:
   • To admire; to esteem; to respect: To regard someone or something with deep approval, respect, or wonder, often due to their ability, character, or achievement.
   • To submit; to yield; to concede: To accept someone's superiority or authority; to acknowledge defeat or that someone else is right.
   • To endure; to withstand; to tolerate: To bear or cope with a difficult condition, such as a climate or environment.

Usage Examples

• To admire:
  • Tôi rất phục nghị lực của cô ấy. (I greatly admire her determination.)
  • Cả lớp đều phục bạn ấy vì kiến thức sâu rộng. (The whole class esteems him for his vast knowledge.)
• To submit/yield:
  • Đối thủ đã phục và bắt tay chúc mừng. (The opponent conceded and shook hands in congratulations.)
  • Anh ấy không bao giờ chịu phục trước khó khăn. (He never yields to difficulties.)
• To endure:
  • Ông ấy không phục thủy thổ nên phải về quê. (He couldn't endure the local climate, so he had to return home.)

Advanced Usage

• "phục tùng": to obey, to submit to authority.
  • Người lính phải phục tùng mệnh lệnh. (A soldier must obey orders.)
• "phục kích": to ambush.
  • Quân địch phục kích đoàn xe. (The enemy troops ambushed the convoy.)

Variants and Related Words

• Khâm phục (v): to admire, to revere (stronger feeling of respect).
  • Mọi người khâm phục lòng dũng cảm của anh. (Everyone reveres his courage.)
• Thán phục (v): to admire, to be in awe.
  • Tôi thán phục tài năng của nghệ sĩ đó. (I am in awe of that artist's talent.)
• Chịu phục (v): to admit defeat, to be convinced.
  • Sau bằng chứng đó, anh ta đành chịu phục. (After that evidence, he had to admit defeat.)

Synonyms

• Admire: to regard with warm approval.
• Respect: to feel deep admiration for.
• Yield: to give way under pressure.
• Endure: to suffer patiently.

Related Idioms

• Phục thiện: to repent and mend one's ways; to acknowledge one's fault and correct it.
  • Sau khi được khuyên bảo, nó đã biết phục thiện. (After being advised, he knew to repent and mend his ways.)
• Miệng phục tâm không phục: To agree verbally but not be convinced in one's heart.
  • Anh ấy gật đầu nhưng thực ra là miệng phục tâm không phục. (He nodded, but it was actually a case of lip service, not genuine respect.)

verb

1. to admire ; to esteem