Definition

1. Noun:

   • Sorrow, worry, distress: A state of deep sadness, anxiety, or mental unease caused by problems, troubles, or unfortunate circumstances.
   • Melancholy, grief: A feeling of pensive sadness, often with no obvious or specific cause.

2. Adjective (Less common):

   • Sorrowful, worried, distressed: Describing a person who is in a state of sadness or anxiety.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Anh ấy đang mang nhiều ưu phiền trong lòng. (He is carrying a lot of sorrow/worry in his heart.)
  • Những ưu phiền về công việc khiến cô ấy mất ngủ. (Work-related worries cause her to lose sleep.)
  • Thời gian sẽ xoa dịu mọi ưu phiền. (Time will soothe all sorrows.)

• Adjective:

  • Gương mặt ưu phiền của anh ấy khiến tôi lo lắng. (His sorrowful/worried face makes me concerned.)
  • Một tâm hồn ưu phiền khó có thể tìm thấy bình yên. (A distressed soul can hardly find peace.)

Advanced Usage

• Literary/Classical Tone: The word ưu phiền carries a somewhat literary, classical, or formal nuance. It is often used in poetry, literature, or reflective writing rather than in casual, everyday conversation about minor worries.
  • Thơ ca của ông ấy thấm đẫm nỗi ưu phiền trước thời cuộc. (His poetry is imbued with melancholy about the current situation.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ưu tư (noun/adjective): Worry, concern; pensive. Often used interchangeably with ưu phiền, but can sometimes imply more active, specific thinking about problems.
• Phiền muộn (noun/adjective): Sadness, depression; gloomy. Emphasizes a burdensome, oppressive sadness.
• Buồn phiền (noun/adjective): Sadness and trouble; vexed. A common compound combining general sadness with specific troubles.
• Sầu muộn (noun/adjective): Profound grief, deep sorrow. Stronger and more poetic than ưu phiền.

Synonyms

• Nỗi buồn: Sadness (more general).
• Sự lo lắng: Worry, anxiety (more about anticipation of problems).
• Nỗi sầu: Grief, melancholy (more poetic and profound).

Idioms and Set Phrases

• Chứa chất ưu phiền: To be filled with sorrow/worries.
  • Trái tim cô chứa chất ưu phiền sau biến cố đó. (Her heart was filled with sorrow after that incident.)
• Vương vấn ưu phiền: To be haunted by worries/sorrow.
  • Anh ấy vẫn vương vấn ưu phiền về quyết định của mình. (He is still haunted by worry about his decision.)

noun

1. sorrow