Lãng
Definition
Adjective:
- Wasteful / Squandering: Describes the action of using or spending resources (such as money, time, or effort) carelessly, extravagantly, or without purpose, leading to loss.
- Neglectful / Oblivious: Describes a state of being inattentive, forgetful, or failing to pay proper attention to important matters or responsibilities.
Adjective (in compounds):
- Aimless / Drifting: Often found in compound words to describe something moving or existing without a clear direction, purpose, or focus.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Anh ta sống rất lãng phí. (He lives very wastefully.)
- Đừng lãng quên nhiệm vụ của mình. (Do not neglect your duty.)
- Cô ấy có cái nhìn lãng đãng. (She has a distant, absent-minded gaze.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "lãng" is rarely used alone in modern Vietnamese. Its core meanings are almost always expressed through specific compound words.
- "lãng mạn": romantic (in the artistic or sentimental sense).
- Thơ của ông ấy tràn đầy tinh thần lãng mạn. (His poetry is full of romantic spirit.)
Variants and Related Words
Lãng phí (adj, v): wasteful; to waste.
- Lãng phí thời gian là không nên. (Wasting time is not advisable.)
Lãng quên (v): to forget, to neglect (often implies forgetting something important).
- Chúng ta không được lãng quên quá khứ. (We must not forget the past.)
Lãng đãng (adj): absent-minded, distracted, with one's thoughts elsewhere.
- Cậu bé nhìn lãng đãng ra cửa sổ. (The boy looked out the window absent-mindedly.)
Lãng tử (n, literary): a wanderer, a drifter (often with a romantic connotation).
- Chàng lãng tử đó lại ra đi. (That wanderer has left again.)
Synonyms
- Wasteful: extravagant, prodigal.
- Neglectful: forgetful, inattentive, oblivious.
- Aimless: drifting, wandering.
Related Idioms and Phrases
Lãng xẹt (adj, colloquial): superficial, cursory, done without proper care or depth.
- Bài báo cáo này viết quá lãng xẹt. (This report is written too superficially.)
Đi lãng (v, phrase): to wander off, to go for an aimless stroll.
- Bà cụ thích đi lãng trong công viên. (The old lady likes to wander in the park.)