vần vật
Definition
- Verb:
- To struggle intensely; to wrestle; to grapple: Describes a physical or metaphorical struggle requiring great effort, often prolonged and exhausting. It implies being locked in a difficult contest or battling with a challenging situation.
- To toil relentlessly; to work oneself to the bone: Connotes working extremely hard without rest, similar to the English phrase "to grind away."
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Hai đô vật đang vần vật trên sàn đấu. (The two wrestlers are grappling on the mat.)
- Anh ấy vần vật với bài toán khó cả tiếng đồng hồ. (He wrestled with the difficult math problem for an hour.)
- Họ phải vần vật với cơn bão để đưa thuyền vào bờ. (They had to struggle fiercely with the storm to bring the boat to shore.)
- Cả gia đình vần vật làm việc để kiếm sống. (The whole family toils relentlessly to make a living.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "vần vật" often carries a stronger, more visceral connotation of exhausting struggle than the more common synonym "vật lộn." It is frequently used in literary or descriptive contexts.
Variants and Related Words
- Vật lộn (v): to struggle, to wrestle. A more common synonym.
- Cô ấy vật lộn với căn bệnh nhiều năm. (She struggled with the illness for many years.)
Synonyms
- To grapple: To engage in a close fight or struggle without weapons.
- To wrestle: To struggle physically or to try to solve a difficult problem.
- To toil: To work extremely hard or incessantly.
- To struggle: To make a forceful effort to get free or to deal with a difficult task.
Related Idioms
- While "vần vật" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, its meaning is central to expressions of hardship.
- Sống vần vật với đời: To live a life of constant struggle and toil.
- Sau chiến tranh, họ sống vần vật với đời. (After the war, they lived a life of constant struggle.)