Definition

1. Verb:
   • To deliver a baby / to assist at childbirth: The primary meaning of "đỡ đẻ" is the act of helping a woman give birth, typically performed by a midwife, doctor, or sometimes an experienced person.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Bà ấy là một nữ hộ sinh có kinh nghiệm đỡ đẻ. (She is an experienced midwife who delivers babies.)
  • Bác sĩ đang đỡ đẻ cho sản phụ trong phòng sinh. (The doctor is delivering the baby for the mother in the delivery room.)
  • Ngày xưa, bà mụ trong làng thường đỡ đẻ cho các sản phụ. (In the past, the village midwife often assisted women in childbirth.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is specifically used for the action performed by the birth attendant, not the mother. The mother "sinh con" (gives birth).

Variants and Related Words

• Đỡ đẻ can be considered a compound verb itself. Related terms include:
  • Nữ hộ sinh (n): midwife.
  • Bà đỡ (n): traditional midwife (often used in historical or rural contexts).
  • Sản khoa (n): obstetrics.
  • Sinh con (v): to give birth (action of the mother).

Synonyms

• To deliver: (as in delivering a baby).
• To assist in childbirth: to help during the birthing process.
• To midwife: to act as a midwife (less common as a verb in everyday English).

Notes on Usage

• "Đỡ đẻ" is a standard and clinical term in Vietnamese. It is neutral and used in both medical and general contexts.
• The French-derived term "maïeutique" (maieutics) in the reference is a technical term for the art of midwifery or the Socratic method of eliciting ideas, but it is not a direct, common synonym for the verb "đỡ đẻ."

1. Deliver (a woman in childbirth)