thụ ân
Definition
- Verb (formal, literary):
- To receive grace/favor/kindness: To be the beneficiary of a benevolent act, kindness, or favor, often from a superior, authority, or benefactor. It implies a sense of receiving something unearned and creates a debt of gratitude.
- To be indebted/obligated: To be placed under a moral or social obligation due to the kindness or favor received.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Người dân thụ ân của nhà vua. (The people received the king's grace.)
- Tôi mãi mãi thụ ân sự giúp đỡ của ông ấy trong lúc khó khăn. (I am forever indebted to him for his help in my time of difficulty.)
- Cô ấy cảm thấy mình đã thụ ân quá nhiều từ gia đình. (She felt she had received too much kindness from her family.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "thụ ân" is considered formal and is primarily used in literary, historical, or very respectful contexts. In modern spoken Vietnamese, phrases like "chịu ơn" or "mang ơn" are more common.
- It often describes a hierarchical relationship, such as subject-ruler, student-teacher, or recipient-benefactor.
Variants and Related Words
- Chịu ơn (v): to be under an obligation, to owe a debt of gratitude (more common in modern usage).
- Anh ấy chịu ơn vị ân nhân cứu mạng. (He is indebted to the benefactor who saved his life.)
- Mang ơn (v): to carry a debt of gratitude.
- Tôi mang ơn cha mẹ suốt đời. (I owe my parents a lifelong debt of gratitude.)
Synonyms
- Receive favor: to be given a kind or helpful act.
- Be indebted: to owe gratitude for a service or benefit.
- Be obligated: to be bound by duty due to a received kindness.
Related Idioms
- Thụ ân tái tạo: To receive a grace that is as significant as being reborn; to owe a profound, life-altering debt.
- Ân nhân đã cứu sống tôi, đó là ân tình thụ ân tái tạo. (The benefactor saved my life; that is a grace as great as a rebirth.)