ở ẩn

Thân thiện

Sau nhiều năm bon chen, cụ già quyết định về quê ở ẩn.

Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To live in seclusion / to lead a recluse's life: To withdraw from society and live a solitary, often hidden or quiet life, typically for spiritual, philosophical, or personal reasons. This term often carries a classical or literary connotation.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Sau nhiều năm bon chen, cụ già quyết định về quê ở ẩn. (After many years of struggle, the old man decided to return to his hometown to live in seclusion.)
  • Nhà thơ ấy nổi tiếng vì chọn ở ẩn trong núi. (That poet is famous for choosing to live as a recluse in the mountains.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase "ở ẩn" is deeply rooted in East Asian, particularly Vietnamese and Chinese, philosophical traditions (like Taoism or Confucianism), where withdrawing from public life was sometimes seen as a virtuous act of disengagement from worldly affairs.
• It implies a deliberate, often permanent choice, unlike a temporary retreat.

Variants and Related Words

• Ẩn dật (v): to live in hiding; to be a hermit. A more formal, literary synonym.
  • Ông ấy ẩn dật để nghiên cứu sách cổ. (He lived in seclusion to study ancient texts.)
• Sống ẩn dật (v): to live a reclusive life. A more descriptive phrase with the same core meaning.

Synonyms

• To live as a hermit
• To live in retreat
• To withdraw from the world

Related Idioms/Phrases

• "Tre già măng mọc" (When the bamboo is old, the shoots grow): While not a direct idiom for seclusion, it is a proverb sometimes referenced in contexts where older generations "withdraw" (like going into seclusion) to make way for the young.
• The concept is central to the title of the classic Chinese novel "Tam Quốc Diễn Nghĩa" (Romance of the Three Kingdoms), where characters like Khổng Minh (Zhuge Liang) "ở ẩn" before being invited to serve.

Học thuật

1. Live (lead) the life of a recluse