Definition

1. Noun:
   • Last will; dying wish; final instructions: The final wishes, commands, or testamentary instructions left by a person before their death. This term carries a formal and somewhat literary tone, often implying a solemn charge or bequest.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Người cha già để lại di mệnh cho các con. (The old father left his last will for his children.)
  • Vị vua trăn trối di mệnh cuối cùng cho tể tướng. (The king confided his final instructions to the prime minister.)
  • Thực hiện di mệnh của tổ tiên là trách nhiệm lớn. (Fulfilling the ancestral dying wish is a great responsibility.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "di mệnh" is considered formal and is more commonly found in literary, historical, or legal contexts rather than in everyday conversation. It emphasizes the weight and authority of the final command.

Variants and Related Words

• Di chúc (n): Will, testament. This is the standard, modern legal term for a last will and testament.

  • Ông ấy đã viết di chúc rõ ràng. (He wrote a clear will.)

• Di ngôn (n): Last words; dying statement. This focuses more on the final spoken words or declaration.

  • Di ngôn của nhà cách mạng đã truyền cảm hứng cho nhiều người. (The revolutionary's last words inspired many people.)

Synonyms

• Last will: A legal document stating a person's wishes for the distribution of their property after death.
• Dying wish: A final request or desire expressed before death.
• Final instructions: The last set of directions or commands given.

Related Concepts

• Trăn trối (v): To utter last words on one's deathbed; to give final instructions while dying. This verb is often associated with the act of conveying a "di mệnh".
• Tâm nguyện cuối cùng (n): Final aspiration/heartfelt wish. A less formal phrase for a final wish.

1. Last will