Definition

1. Noun:
   • Dew and wind: The literal meaning refers to the natural elements of dew and wind.
   • Hardships / the elements: The primary figurative meaning refers to the hardships, challenges, and exposure to difficult weather conditions experienced during travel or a hard life.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trải qua nhiều sương gió, anh ấy trở nên kiên cường hơn. (Having endured many hardships, he became more resilient.)
  • Mái tóc bạc phơ vì sương gió. (Hair turned white from exposure to the elements.)
  • Chiếc thuyền nhỏ chống chọi với sương gió trên biển. (The small boat battled the wind and weather at sea.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in its figurative sense to poetically describe adversity, struggle, and the toll of a difficult journey or life.
• It often carries a connotation of valuable, character-building experience gained through endurance.

Variants and Related Words

• Dạn dày sương gió (adj. phrase): weather-beaten; hardened by experience; having endured many trials.
  • Ông ấy là một người lính dạn dày sương gió. (He is a soldier hardened by experience.)

Synonyms

• Hardships: difficult conditions of life.
• Adversity: a difficult or unpleasant situation.
• The elements: the weather, especially bad weather.

Related Idioms

• Trải sương gió: to weather hardships; to go through trials and tribulations.
  • Cô ấy đã trải nhiều sương gió để có được thành công ngày hôm nay. (She weathered many hardships to achieve today's success.)