Definition

1. Verb:
   • To revive; to restore to life: The literal meaning is to bring someone who has died back to life. This is a very rare and miraculous concept.
   • To revitalize; to save from ruin or a seemingly hopeless state: The most common usage is figurative. It describes the act of saving something (e.g., a project, a business, a situation, a person's spirit) that was on the verge of complete failure or collapse, giving it new life and vitality.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Bác sĩ tài ba ấy được mệnh danh là có khả năng cải tử hoàn sinh. (That talented doctor is reputed to have the ability to revive the dead.)
  • Nhờ những chính sách mới, chính phủ đã cải tử hoàn sinh cho nền kinh tế đang suy thoái. (Thanks to the new policies, the government revitalized the declining economy.)
  • Huấn luyện viên mới đã thực sự cải tử hoàn sinh cho đội bóng sắp xuống hạng. (The new coach truly revived the football team that was about to be relegated.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is often used in a hyperbolic or dramatic sense to emphasize a remarkable turnaround. It implies a transformation from a state of "death" (complete failure, stagnation, or hopelessness) to one of "life" (success, activity, or hope).
• It is frequently used in contexts like medicine, business, sports, and politics to describe a dramatic rescue or recovery.

Variants and Related Words

• Hồi sinh (verb): To revive, to come back to life. This is a more common and less figurative synonym.
• Phục hồi (verb): To restore, to recover. This focuses on returning to a previous, better state.
• Cứu sống (verb): To save (someone's) life. This is used in literal medical or emergency contexts.

Synonyms

• Revive: To return to consciousness, life, or strength.
• Resuscitate: To revive from unconsciousness or apparent death (often used in medical contexts).
• Revitalize: To imbue with new life and vitality.
• Resurrect: To raise from the dead; to bring back into use or attention.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Thần y cải tử hoàn sinh": A miraculous doctor who can bring the dead back to life. This is a common phrase of high praise in historical or folk contexts.
• While "cải tử hoàn sinh" itself is a set four-character idiom (thành ngữ Hán Việt), it is not typically broken down into phrasal verbs. Its power lies in its use as a complete unit.

verb

1. to revive; to restore to life