Definition

1. Verb phrase (informal, often euphemistic or ironic):
   • To die, to pass away: Used to refer to someone's death, often with a humorous, euphemistic, or slightly irreverent tone.
   • To go bankrupt, to be ruined: Used to describe a business, plan, or situation that has failed completely or collapsed.

Usage Examples

• Referring to death:
  • Ông cụ ốm nặng, rồi cũng phải đi tây thôi. (The old man is seriously ill; it's about time he kicked the bucket.)
  • Nghe tin bà ấy đã đi tây hồi tuần trước. (I heard she passed away last week.)
• Referring to failure or ruin:
  • Công ty làm ăn thua lỗ, sắp đi tây đến nơi rồi. (The company is operating at a loss and is about to go bust.)
  • Kế hoạch đó không khả thi, chắc chắn sẽ đi tây. (That plan is not feasible; it will surely go to pot.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase carries a colloquial and somewhat crude connotation. It is not used in formal or respectful contexts, especially when referring to death.
• When referring to death, it often implies the person was old or had been ill for a long time, suggesting their passing was somewhat expected.
• The humor or irony in the phrase can soften the bluntness of discussing death or failure.

Variants and Related Words

• Đi bán muối (Verb phrase, informal): Another euphemistic and humorous phrase meaning "to die." (Lit. to go sell salt)
• Tèo (Verb, slang): A very casual slang term meaning to die or to fail.
• Phá sản (Verb): The standard, formal term for "to go bankrupt."

Synonyms

• Qua đời (Verb): To pass away (polite and formal).
• Chết (Verb): To die (neutral but direct).
• Vỡ nợ / Phá sản (Verb): To go bankrupt (for financial ruin).

Related Idioms

• Xuống suối vàng (Lit. to go down to the golden stream): A poetic and euphemistic idiom meaning "to die."
• Đi vào cõi vĩnh hằng (Lit. to enter the eternal realm): A literary and respectful idiom for "to pass away."
• Tan cửa nát nhà (Lit. the door is broken, the house is shattered): An idiom describing complete financial ruin and devastation.

1. Go west, kick the bucket
   • Già nua bệnh tật thế mà đi tây cũng phải lúc rồi
     It was time he went west, so old and ailing.
2. (mỉa) Be bust, go to pot