Definition

1. Verb:
   • To refuse a difficult task or request: The primary meaning of "từ nan" is to decline or not accept a task, duty, or favor because it is perceived as difficult, burdensome, or challenging.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy từ nan nhiệm vụ mới vì quá phức tạp. (He refused the new mission because it was too complicated.)
  • Cô ấy không bao giờ từ nan khi bạn bè cần giúp đỡ. (She never refuses when her friends need help.)
  • Vì sức khỏe yếu, ông ấy đã từ nan lời mời tham gia. (Due to poor health, he declined the invitation to participate.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a nuance of declining specifically due to the arduous, troublesome, or demanding nature of the request, not merely a simple refusal. It implies a consideration of the hardship involved.

Variants and Related Words

• Từ chối (v): to refuse, to decline. This is a more general and common synonym for refusal without the specific connotation of difficulty inherent in "từ nan".

Synonyms

• To decline (a difficult task)
• To refuse (due to hardship)
• To turn down (a challenging request)

Related Idioms

• "Từ nan bất từ gian": This is a classical or literary phrase meaning "to refuse hardship but not danger." It describes a person who is willing to face danger but unwilling to undertake tedious or extremely difficult labor.
  • Nhà thám hiểm có tinh thần "từ nan bất từ gian". (The explorer has the spirit of "refusing hardship but not danger.")