Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To deign; to condescend: To lower oneself to do something considered beneath one's dignity or status, often with a sense of graciousness or reluctant mercy.
   • To be moved (to show compassion/mercy): To allow one's heart to be softened, leading to an act of kindness, pity, or forgiveness that one might not ordinarily show.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Xin ngài rủ lòng thương xót. (Please deign to have mercy.)
  • Cuối cùng, ông chủ cũng rủ lòng cho tôi vay tiền. (Finally, the boss condescended to lend me money.)
  • Cô ấy rủ lòng tha thứ cho lỗi lầm của anh. (She was moved to forgive his mistake.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often implies a significant power or status differential, where the subject (the one who "rủ lòng") holds a superior position—whether in authority, morality, or circumstance—over the object of the action.
• It is frequently used in appeals, prayers, or formal requests for help or clemency, emphasizing that the hoped-for action is a special favor, not an obligation.

Variants and Related Words

• Rủ (v): to invite, to persuade (someone to join an activity). This is the base verb, but in "rủ lòng," the meaning shifts significantly.
  • Anh ấy rủ tôi đi xem phim. (He invited me to go see a movie.)
• Thương hại (v): to pity. This can be a result of "rủ lòng."
  • Tôi thương hại hoàn cảnh của cô ấy. (I pity her situation.)

Synonyms

• Deign: to do something that one considers beneath one's dignity.
• Condescend: to show that one feels superior by graciously lowering oneself.
• Relent: to abandon a harsh intention and become more merciful.
• Have compassion: to show sympathy and concern for others' suffering.

Related Idioms

• Rủ lòng thương: to deign to love/have compassion; a very common collocation.
  • Mong trời rủ lòng thương. (May heaven deign to show compassion.)
• Rủ lòng từ bi: to be moved to show Buddhist compassion or mercy.
  • Vị sư đã rủ lòng từ bi giúp đỡ người nghèo. (The monk was moved by compassion to help the poor.)