Definition

1. Interjection (Thán từ):
   • An expression of strong surprise, disbelief, or frustration: Used to express shock, amazement, or annoyance, often in reaction to an unexpected or extreme situation. It is a vulgar, slang term.
   • An expression of dismissal or giving up: Used to indicate that one is abandoning a task or situation out of frustration or because it is deemed hopeless.

Usage Examples

• Interjection:
  • Bỏ bố! Cái máy tính này lại hỏng nữa rồi. (Damn it! This computer is broken again.)
  • "Anh ấy vừa trúng số độc đắc đấy." – "Bỏ bố! Thật không vậy?" ("He just won the lottery." – "No way! Is that true?")
  • Bài toán này khó quá, bỏ bố! (This math problem is too hard, screw it!)

Advanced Usage Notes

• Register and Tone: This is a very informal, coarse, and masculine-sounding slang term. It is considered vulgar and should be used with extreme caution, only in very casual settings among close friends. It is highly inappropriate in formal, polite, or professional contexts.
• Emotional Range: While often expressing negative frustration, it can also convey positive shock or disbelief (similar to "Holy cow!" or "No way!" in English), though the vulgar undertone remains.
• Comparative Structure: The phrase often appears in the comparative structure "như bỏ mẹ" (just like "bỏ mẹ"), which is its direct synonym and equally vulgar. This structure emphasizes that the situation is extreme or typical of such frustrating outcomes.
  • Nó chạy nhanh như bỏ bố. (He runs incredibly fast. / He runs like hell.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bỏ mẹ (Interjection): A direct synonym with identical meaning and register. The two are often used interchangeably or in the comparative structure "như bỏ mẹ / bỏ bố".
• Vãi (Interjection): Another vulgar slang interjection expressing surprise or intensity (e.g., – "Oh shit, for real!").
• Trời ơi (Interjection): A common, non-vulgar exclamation meaning "Oh my god" or "Oh dear," used to express surprise, shock, or frustration.

Synonyms (Từ đồng nghĩa)

• Chết tiệt (Interjection): Damn it! (Strong but slightly less vulgar than "bỏ bố").
• Khỉ thật (Interjection): Literally "Monkey, really!"; a mild, colloquial expression of annoyance.
• Trời đất ơi (Interjection): "Heavens!"; expresses shock or appeal.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Bỏ của chạy lấy người: To abandon one's possessions to save one's own skin. This is a standard idiom and is not vulgar. It shares the verb "bỏ" (to abandon) but is semantically and stylistically distinct from the interjection "bỏ bố".
  • Khi cháy nhà, anh ta đành bỏ của chạy lấy người. (When the house was on fire, he had to abandon everything and run for his life.)

1. như bỏ mẹ