Definition

1. Noun:
   • A bag for holding cooked rice: A literal bag, often made of cloth or other material, used to carry or store cooked rice, typically for meals away from home.
   • A metaphor for a person's livelihood or basic sustenance: Figuratively, it represents one's job, salary, or primary source of income that provides for basic living needs, similar to the English concept of "bread and butter" or "rice bowl."

Usage Examples

• Noun (Literal):
  • Anh công nhân mang theo túi cơm đi làm. (The worker brings a rice bag to work.)
• Noun (Figurative):
  • Công việc này là túi cơm của cả gia đình anh. (This job is the rice bowl for his whole family.)
  • Đừng làm ảnh hưởng đến túi cơm của người khác. (Don't jeopardize other people's livelihoods.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often appears in discussions about job security, economic stability, or the fundamental importance of one's work.
• It can be used to emphasize the seriousness of threatening someone's primary income source.

Variants and Related Words

• Giá áo túi cơm (idiomatic phrase): A traditional saying referring to the basic necessities of life: clothing (giá áo) and food (túi cơm). It signifies the fundamental material needs for existence.

Synonyms

• Livelihood: A means of securing the basic necessities of life.
• Rice bowl: A source of income or sustenance (common metaphor in Asian contexts).
• Bread and butter: One's primary source of income or mainstay.

Related Idioms

• Giá áo túi cơm: As above, this idiom encapsulates the core concept of basic material survival needs.
  • Lo được giá áo túi cơm là ưu tiên hàng đầu. (Securing clothing and food is the top priority.)