Definition

Verb: - To look after, to take care of, to watch over: The primary meaning is to be responsible for supervising, protecting, or managing something or someone, ensuring its/their safety, order, or proper function. - To oversee, to manage: Implies a duty of supervision and administration over a place, property, or task.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tôi nhờ hàng xóm trông coi nhà khi đi du lịch. (I asked the neighbor to look after the house while traveling.)
  • Cô ấy trông coi một cửa hàng tạp hóa nhỏ. (She oversees/manages a small grocery store.)
  • Anh ấy có nhiệm vụ trông coi khu vườn. (He has the duty to take care of the garden.)

Advanced Usage

• "trông coi công việc": to oversee/supervise work.
  • Ông ấy được giao trông coi công việc xây dựng. (He was assigned to oversee the construction work.)
• "trông coi trẻ em": to babysit / to look after children.
  • Cần tìm người trông coi trẻ em vào cuối tuần. (Looking for someone to babysit on weekends.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trông nom (verb): A very close synonym, also meaning to look after, to take care of. Often used interchangeably with "trông coi," though "trông nom" can sound slightly more caring or nurturing.
  • Bà ấy trông nom đứa cháu nhỏ. (She looks after her young grandchild.)
• Coi sóc (verb): To take care of, to attend to. Similar in meaning, emphasizing the act of caring and supervision.
  • Nhân viên coi sóc khu vực này rất cẩn thận. (The staff takes care of this area very carefully.)
• Giám sát (verb): To supervise, to monitor. Focuses more on the aspect of inspection and control.
  • Kỹ sư giám sát tiến độ dự án. (The engineer supervises the project's progress.)

Synonyms

• Chăm sóc: to care for, to nurture (often with more emphasis on direct, hands-on care).
• Bảo vệ: to guard, to protect (emphasizes defense from danger).
• Quản lý: to manage, to administer (emphasizes organizational control).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a single verb, "trông coi" itself is not typically broken down into phrasal verbs in Vietnamese. Its meaning is conveyed as a whole unit.

Related Idioms

• "Trông coi như báu vật": To look after something as if it were a treasure (to guard something very carefully).
  • Bà ấy trông coi chiếc đồng hồ cũ như báu vật. (She looks after the old watch as if it were a treasure.)
• "Trông coi đầu tắt mặt tối": To look after/manage something from dawn till dusk, implying very hard and constant work.
  • Người nông dân trông coi ruộng vườn đầu tắt mặt tối. (The farmer tends to his fields from dawn till dusk.)

verb

1. to look after, to keep an eye on