ăn quẩn
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To sponge off one's own family or close circle: To habitually rely on, take advantage of, or exploit the resources (money, food, hospitality) of one's own relatives, friends, or immediate social group for one's own sustenance or benefit, often without reciprocating or contributing fairly. It implies a parasitic or exploitative relationship within a close-knit network.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Anh ta thất nghiệp và chỉ biết ăn quẩn bố mẹ. (He is unemployed and just sponges off his parents.)
- Không thể cứ ăn quẩn anh em mãi được. (You can't keep exploiting your siblings forever.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often carries a strong negative connotation of laziness, lack of ambition, or moral failing for preying on those closest to the individual.
- It can be used more broadly to criticize someone who only operates within or exploits a very limited, familiar circle instead of venturing out independently.
Variants and Related Words
- Ăn bám (v): to be a parasite, to live off others. This is a more general term, while specifies the victim is one's own circle.
- Cô ấy không chịu làm việc, chỉ ăn bám chồng. (She refuses to work and just lives off her husband.)
Synonyms
- To sponge off one's family: To live off the financial support of relatives without contributing.
- To exploit one's kin: To take unfair advantage of one's family members.
- To be a leech on one's own people: To drain the resources of one's close associates.
Related Idioms
- Ăn cháo đá bát: To bite the hand that feeds you. This idiom emphasizes ingratitude, which can be a related consequence of .
- Hắn được giúp đỡ rồi lại nói xấu người ta, đúng là ăn cháo đá bát. (He was helped and then spoke ill of them, truly biting the hand that feeds him.)