Definition

1. Verb:
   • To think of with respect and longing; to cherish the memory of: To direct one's thoughts respectfully towards someone or something distant, often with reverence and a sense of yearning. This meaning aligns with the Vietnamese-French dictionary's "penser avec respect à ; évoquer avec déférence."
   • To have impractical yearnings; to indulge in unrealistic thoughts: To wish for or dwell on things that are fanciful, unattainable, or not grounded in reality. This meaning aligns with the Vietnamese-Vietnamese dictionary's "Mong ước những điều không thiết thực."

Usage Examples

• Verb (to think of with respect):

  • Chúng tôi thành kính tưởng vọng về tổ tiên. (We respectfully cherish the memory of our ancestors.)
  • Nhân ngày giỗ, cả gia đình tưởng vọng đến ông bà. (On the death anniversary, the whole family thinks with reverence of their grandparents.)

• Verb (to have impractical yearnings):

  • Anh ta chỉ biết tưởng vọng đến giàu sang mà không chịu làm việc. (He only indulges in unrealistic thoughts of wealth and refuses to work.)
  • Đừng tưởng vọng những điều viển vông. (Don't yearn for impractical things.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is formal and carries a literary tone. The specific meaning is heavily dependent on context. When the object is a revered person (ancestors, national heroes), the first, respectful meaning applies. When the object is an abstract or unrealistic goal, the second, more critical meaning applies.

Variants and Related Words

• Tưởng nhớ (v): To remember, to commemorate (often used for the deceased). This is more commonly used than "tưởng vọng" for the act of remembrance without the additional connotation of unrealistic yearning.
• Mơ tưởng (v): To dream of, to fantasize about (often with a sense of unrealistic desire).

Synonyms

• To revere: To feel deep respect or admiration.
• To yearn: To have an intense feeling of longing for something.
• To fantasize: To indulge in unrealistic or fanciful ideas.

Related Idioms

• Tưởng vọng hão huyền: To indulge in vain/empty fantasies.
  • Kế hoạch của họ chỉ là tưởng vọng hão huyền. (Their plan is just an indulgence in vain fantasies.)