chông gai

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The Vietnamese word "chông gai" refers to "spikes" and "thorns," but it is often used metaphorically to describe "difficulties," "obstacles," and "dangers" that one may encounter in life.

Explanation

1. Literal Meaning:

   • "Chông" means "spike" or "thorn," something that can prick or hurt you.
   • "Gai" also refers to "thorn" or "spike."
   • Together, "chông gai" represents physical spikes or thorns, but it's primarily used to talk about challenges or troubles.

2. Figurative Usage:

   • In a broader sense, "chông gai" symbolizes the difficulties and challenges we face in various situations, such as in work, relationships, or personal growth.

Usage Instructions

• You can use "chông gai" to describe any situation where you face problems or challenges.
• It can be used in both spoken and written Vietnamese.

Example

• Sentence: "Trong cuộc sống, ai cũng phải đối mặt với chông gai."
  • Translation: "In life, everyone has to face difficulties."

Advanced Usage

• A common phrase using "chông gai" is "đạp bằng mọi chông gai để tiến lên", which means "to tread flat all obstacles and advance." This phrase conveys the idea of overcoming all challenges to move forward and succeed.

Word Variants

• Chông: can also stand alone to refer to spikes or thorns.
• Gai: can stand alone to refer to thorns but can also mean "spiny" or "prickly" in different contexts.

Different Meanings

While "chông gai" primarily refers to difficulties, it can also be used in a more poetic sense to refer to life’s challenges that contribute to personal growth and resilience.

Synonyms

• Khó khăn: means "difficulties."
• Trở ngại: means "obstacles."
• Thử thách: means "challenges."

Academic

1. Spikes and thorns, difficulties, obstacles and dangers
   • đạp bằng mọi chông gai để tiến lên
     to tread flat all obstacles and advance, to advance by contending against difficulties (braving all difficulties)