ẹo lưng
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To bend one's back / to have a bent back: Describes the physical action or state of the back being curved, hunched, or bent over, typically due to carrying a heavy load, old age, or poor posture.
- To stoop: To bend the body forward and downward, often from the waist or shoulders.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Bà cụ ấy phải ẹo lưng gánh hàng rong mỗi ngày. (That old woman has to bend her back to carry street vendor goods every day.)
- Sau nhiều năm làm việc nặng, ông ấy bắt đầu ẹo lưng. (After many years of heavy labor, he began to have a bent back.)
- Đừng ngồi ẹo lưng như thế, nó không tốt cho cột sống. (Don't sit stooped like that; it's not good for your spine.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often implies a permanent or semi-permanent physical condition resulting from strain or hardship, not just a temporary posture.
Variants and Related Words
- Còng lưng (verb phrase): To be hunchbacked; a synonym emphasizing a more pronounced, often permanent, curvature of the spine.
- Ông lão còng lưng đi bộ trong công viên. (The hunchbacked old man walks in the park.)
Synonyms
- To hunch over: To raise and tighten the shoulders, bending the back forward.
- To be stooped: To have a permanently bent or rounded back.
- To arch one's back: Can be similar but often implies a different, sometimes more controlled, curvature.
Related Idioms
- Gánh nặng làm ẹo lưng: Literally "the heavy load bends the back." Figuratively means burdens or responsibilities wear a person down.
- Gánh nặng cơm áo gạo tiền làm ẹo lưng bao người. (The burden of making a living bends the backs of so many people.)