Definition

1. Verb:
   • To visit (with a formal or respectful connotation): The primary meaning of "viếng thăm" is to go to see a person or place, often for a specific, formal, or solemn purpose. It implies a sense of respect, courtesy, or duty, and is commonly used for visiting someone in a position of respect, someone who is ill, or a place of significance like a historical site or a grave.
   • To pay a visit / to pay one's respects: This meaning emphasizes the formal and respectful nature of the visit, such as visiting a bereaved family, a superior, or an elder.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Chúng tôi đến viếng thăm ông chủ tịch tại tư gia. (We went to visit the chairman at his private residence.)
  • Hàng năm, gia đình tôi đều về quê viếng thăm mộ tổ tiên. (Every year, my family returns to our hometown to visit our ancestors' graves.)
  • Đoàn đại biểu nước ngoài sẽ viếng thăm Lăng Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh. (The foreign delegation will pay a visit to President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum.)

Advanced Usage

• "viếng thăm" vs. "thăm": While both mean "to visit," "viếng thăm" is more formal and carries a stronger connotation of respect, ceremony, or a specific purpose (like offering condolences). "Thăm" is the general, neutral term for visiting.
  • Đi thăm bạn (to visit a friend - neutral).
  • Đi viếng thăm thầy giáo cũ (to pay a visit to an old teacher - respectful).

Variants and Related Words

• Thăm viếng (v): A variant with the same meaning and usage as "viếng thăm."
  • Con cháu thường xuyên thăm viếng cụ. (The grandchildren regularly visit the elderly person.)
• Viếng (v): Often used alone, especially in contexts of visiting the deceased or paying respects at a solemn place.
  • Viếng đền (to visit a temple).
  • Viếng tang (to attend a funeral / pay a condolence visit).

Synonyms

• To visit: The general equivalent.
• To pay a visit / to pay one's respects: Highlights the formal aspect.
• To call on: A more formal way to say "to visit" someone.

Related Idioms

• Viếng thăm người bệnh: To visit the sick.
  • Phong tục tốt đẹp là thường xuyên viếng thăm người bệnh. (A good custom is to regularly visit the sick.)

verb

1. to visit