tích cóp
Definition
- Verb:
- To save up / to accumulate bit by bit: The primary meaning of "tích cóp" is to gather or set aside small amounts of money or resources over a long period, often through careful effort and thrift.
- To hoard / to amass: It can imply the gradual collection and storage of items, not just money, often for a future purpose.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Cô ấy tích cóp tiền để mua một chiếc xe mới. (She is saving up money to buy a new car.)
- Ông ấy đã tích cóp rất nhiều sách cổ. (He has amassed a large collection of antique books.)
- Họ tích cóp từng đồng một để cho con đi học. (They save up every single penny for their child's education.)
Advanced Usage
- The word often carries a connotation of patience, diligence, and sometimes sacrifice. It is frequently used in contexts of financial planning, collecting possessions, or gathering non-material things like experience or knowledge over time.
- Anh ấy tích cóp kinh nghiệm qua nhiều năm làm việc. (He accumulated experience over many years of work.)
Variants and Related Words
- Tích lũy (v): to accumulate, to build up. This is a more formal or general synonym, often used in economic or academic contexts.
- Tích lũy vốn. (To accumulate capital.)
- Dành dụm (v): to save, to put aside. Very close in meaning to "tích cóp," emphasizing the act of setting something aside for later use.
Synonyms
- Save up: To keep money for future use.
- Accumulate: To gather or acquire an increasing number or quantity of.
- Amass: To collect a large amount of something.
- Hoard: To accumulate and store away.
Related Idioms
- Tích tiểu thành đại: Literally "accumulate small things to become big," equivalent to "Many a mickle makes a muckle" or "Great things come from small beginnings." It perfectly captures the spirit of "tích cóp."
- Hãy tiết kiệm, tích tiểu thành đại. (Be frugal; small savings grow into large sums.)