Definitions

1. Adjective:
   • Long-lived, having a long life: Used to describe a person who lives to a very old age. This term is often used in well-wishes, particularly for birthdays or celebrations of the elderly.
   • Enduring, long-lasting: Can be used metaphorically to describe something that exists or persists for a very long time.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Chúc ông bà được đa thọ, vạn sự như ý. (I wish you, grandparents, a long life and all things as you wish.)
  • Trong bức tranh, hình ảnh cây tùng tượng trưng cho sự đa thọ. (In the painting, the image of the pine tree symbolizes longevity.)
  • Người ta thường chúc "phúc như đông hải, thọ tỷ nam sơn" để cầu mong sự đa thọ. (People often wish "happiness as vast as the Eastern Sea, longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountain" to pray for a long life.)

Advanced Usage

• "Đa thọ đa nhục": A classical Sino-Vietnamese idiom meaning "The longer one lives, the more one suffers." It reflects a philosophical or sometimes pessimistic view on old age, acknowledging that a long life may bring more hardships and sorrows.
  • Câu "đa thọ đa nhục" thể hiện một góc nhìn thực tế về tuổi già. (The phrase "đa thọ đa nhục" presents a realistic perspective on old age.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trường thọ (adj): A synonym meaning "long-lived," "longevity." It is very commonly used in birthday wishes.
  • Kính chúc cụ trường thọ khang ninh. (Respectfully wish you, venerable elder, a long and healthy life.)
• Thọ (n/adj): Life, age; long-lived. The core character meaning "longevity."
  • Hình con hạc trên bình gốm tượng trưng cho sự trường thọ. (The crane image on the ceramic vase symbolizes longevity.)
• Trường tồn (adj): Eternal, everlasting. Used for things, ideas, or legacies that last forever.
  • Những giá trị văn hóa trường tồn. (Enduring cultural values.)

Synonyms

• Sống lâu: To live long (a common, everyday phrase).
• Trường thọ: Long-lived, longevity (a more formal and respectful synonym).
• Trường niên: Of many years (less common, literary).

Related Idioms

• "Phúc thọ song toàn": Having both complete happiness and longevity. A common blessing.
• "Thọ tỷ nam sơn": (Wishing) longevity compared to the Southern Mountain (i.e., as enduring as a mountain). Part of a traditional couplet.
• "Đa phúc đa thọ": Having much happiness and a long life. A standard blessing.

1. Live long
   • Đa thọ đa nhục
     He lives long who suffer a lot