Definition

1. Verb:
   • To die; to pass away: "chầu trời" is a Vietnamese euphemistic and humorous idiom meaning to die. It literally translates to "to attend court in heaven," implying the deceased has gone to meet the celestial realm.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Ông cụ đã chầu trời hồi tuần trước. (The old man passed away last week.)
  • Nó nói đùa rằng phải đợi khi nào ông chủ chầu trời nó mới được lên chức. (He joked that he would have to wait until the boss kicks the bucket before he gets promoted.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is primarily used in informal, conversational contexts. It carries a humorous or irreverent tone and is not appropriate for formal announcements or expressing condolences.
• It is often used in a lighthearted or sarcastic way to talk about someone's death, especially when the speaker is not emotionally close to the deceased or is making a dark joke.

Variants and Related Words

• Chầu Diêm Vương: Another humorous euphemism for dying, meaning "to attend the court of the King of Hell (Yama)."
• Chầu tổ: Literally "to attend the ancestors," a more respectful euphemism for dying, used for elders.
• Chầu giời (alternative spelling): A less common variant spelling of "chầu trời."

Synonyms

• Qua đời: To pass away (polite and common).
• Mất: To be lost; to die (common and neutral).
• Từ trần: To depart from this world (formal and respectful).
• Băng hà: To pass away (used specifically for kings, emperors, or high-ranking figures).

Related Idioms

• Chầu trời chầu đất: An intensified form, adding "earth" to "heaven," still meaning to die. It emphasizes the finality and the act of leaving the earthly realm.
  • Cứ đau ốm suốt, sớm muộn gì cũng chầu trời chầu đất thôi. (Being sick all the time, sooner or later he'll meet his maker.)

verb

1. To die; to pass away