tận hiếu
Definition
- Verb:
- To fulfill filial piety completely: To perform all duties and obligations toward one's parents to the utmost extent, embodying the highest ideal of respect, care, and devotion.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Là con cái, ai cũng mong muốn tận hiếu với cha mẹ. (As children, everyone wishes to fulfill filial piety completely toward their parents.)
- Câu chuyện kể về sự tận hiếu của người con. (The story tells of the child's complete devotion to filial duty.)
Advanced Usage
- "tận hiếu tận tình": to be utterly devoted and wholeheartedly filial. This phrase emphasizes the depth of emotional commitment alongside the fulfillment of duty.
- Ông ấy chăm sóc mẹ già một cách tận hiếu tận tình. (He cares for his elderly mother with utter and wholehearted devotion.)
Word Origin and Notes
- Etymology: A Sino-Vietnamese compound word. "Tận" (盡) means "to exhaust," "to use up completely," or "to the end." "Hiếu" (孝) means "filial piety." Thus, the literal meaning is "to exhaust filial piety," implying doing it fully and perfectly.
- Register: This term carries a formal, literary, and somewhat classical tone. It expresses a profound, traditional Confucian virtue and is often used in formal writing, literature, or speeches about moral values.
Synonyms
- To be filial: To show devotion to one's parents.
- To fulfill one's filial duties: To carry out the responsibilities expected of a child toward their parents.
Related Concepts
- Chữ Hiếu: The concept/ideogram of "Filial Piety," the foundational virtue of respect for one's parents and ancestors.
- Hiếu thảo: (Adjective/Verb) Filial; devoted to one's parents. This is the more common, everyday term for being a good, respectful child. "Tận hiếu" is a stronger, more absolute form of "hiếu thảo."