cậy

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kəj˧˨ʔ]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kəj˨˩ʔ]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [kəj˨˩˨]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Vietic *-giːʔ, whence also gậy.

Verb

cậy • (忌, 𢚁)

1. (rarely used alone) to rely on; to pin one's hopes (on)
   • Nam quốc phương ngôn tục ngữ bị lục (南國方言俗語備錄 "Records of the Southern Nation's regional adages and common sayings"), 1914 version, 16a

     穉(Trẻ)𢚁(cậy)吒(cha)𫅷(già)𢚁(cậy)𡥵(con)

     When young, one relies on one's father; when old, one relies on one's child

   • 1820, Nguyễn Du, Truyện Kiều (傳翹) [The Tale of Kieu], published 1870, lines 723-624:

     𢭄(Cậy)㛪(em)㛪(em)拱(cũng)𠹾(chịu)𠳒(lời)
     𡎥(Ngồi)蓮(lên)朱(cho)姉(chị)𥛉(lạy)耒(rồi)仕(sẽ)疎(thưa)

     I'm pinning my hopes on you, little sister, will you accept my word?
     Please be seated, your elder sister will bow to you ere she speaks.

   • c. 53 - 54, 1 Corinthians 13:13; 2011 Vietnamese translation from KPA version; 2021 English translation from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

     Hiện nay đức tin, đức cậy, đức mến, cả ba đều tồn tại, nhưng cao trọng hơn cả là đức mến.

     And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three, and the greatest of these is love.

2. (by extension) to pride oneself (on); to plume oneself (on); to congratulate oneself (on)

   cậy là mình [with adjective] ― to bank on oneself being [with adjective]

   cậy là mình [with verb] ― to bank on that one [with verb]

   • 1909 [14th century], Luo Guanzhong, chapter 78, in Phan Kế Bính, transl., Romance of the Three Kingdoms, translation of original in Chinese:

     Quan-công xưa nay tính cương quá mà hay cậy mình khỏe, nên mới có vạ này.

     Lord Guan hitherto was too headstrong and often prided himself on his strength; therefore this calamity befell him.

   • 1921 [1794], Huang Yan (黃岩), chapter 22, in Nguyễn Hữu Tiến, transl., Lĩnh Nam dật sử [Lost History of Lingnan], translation of 嶺南逸史:

     Lai Đắc tự hiệu là Phi-thiên ngô-công, hay đứng ở trên mình ngựa múa thanh đại-đao nặng ba trăm cân, xưa nay vẫn tự cậy là khỏe, vốn không hiệp với Lam Năng.

     Lai Đắc styled himself the Flying Centipede, often stood on his horse and flourished his three-hundred-catty-heavy great glaive; hitherto, he always prided himself on his strength, and never got along with Lam Năng.

   • 2014 February 19, “Chồng lo vun vén của riêng, bỏ mặc vợ con [Husband busily hoarding own wealth, neglecting wife and children]”, in vov.vn‎^[1]:

     Chồng tôi gia trưởng, bảo thủ và ích kỷ, chỉ nghĩ cho bản thân mình, lúc nào anh ấy cũng cậy là mình có tiền.

     My husband is despotic, conservative, and selfish, only thinking about himself; he always plumes himself on having money.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• cậy cục
• nhờ cậy
• nương cậy
• sở cậy
• tin cậy
• trông cậy

 

Etymology 2

Noun

(classifier cây) cậy • (梞)

1. date plum (Diospyros lotus)

See also

• thị (“yellow persimmon, Diospyros decandra”)
• hồng (“persimmon, Diospyros kaki”)

Etymology 3

Verb

cậy

1. Alternative form of cạy