Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having a run of bad luck, being jinxed: "giông" describes a state of experiencing a series of misfortunes, believed in superstition to be caused by encountering an unlucky person, object, or omen.
   • Cursed, hexed: It can imply being under a spell of bad luck.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy bị giông cả tháng sau khi đi đám tang. (He had a run of bad luck all month after attending a funeral.)
  • Đừng chạm vào con mèo đen đó, kẻo bị giông đấy! (Don't touch that black cat, or you'll get jinxed!)
  • Cô ấy tin rằng mình bị giông vì đã vô tình làm vỡ gương. (She believes she is cursed because she accidentally broke a mirror.)

Advanced Usage

• "bị giông": to be jinxed/to have a streak of bad luck. This is the most common construction.
  • Cả đội bị giông nên thua liên tục. (The whole team was jinxed, so they kept losing.)
• "giông cả năm": to have a run of hard luck all year long. A fixed phrase emphasizing prolonged misfortune.
  • Gặp người đó ngay đầu năm, giông cả năm. (Meeting that person right at the start of the year brought bad luck all year.)

Variants and Related Words

• Giông tố (n): storm, tempest. (Note: This is a compound word. "Giông" here is part of a different word meaning "storm" and is not directly related to the superstitious concept of "giông" as bad luck.)
• Xui xẻo (adj): unlucky, unfortunate. A more common, non-superstitious synonym.
• Đen đủi (adj): down on one's luck, having a streak of bad luck.

Synonyms

• Rủi ro: risky, but often used for misfortune.
• Vận đen: bad luck.
• Bị hex: to be hexed (borrowed concept).

Notes on Meaning and Usage

• Superstitious Connotation: The word "giông" is deeply rooted in Vietnamese folk belief and superstition. It is not used in formal, scientific, or technical contexts. It specifically refers to bad luck an encounter or event.
• Temporal Aspect: It often describes bad luck that persists for a period (e.g., "giông cả ngày" - jinxed all day).
• Archaic/Regional Use: The secondary meaning from the Vietnamese-French dictionary ("to leave hastily") is now very archaic or dialectal and is rarely used in modern standard Vietnamese. The primary modern meaning is the superstitious one related to bad luck.

1. Have a run of hard luck (after coming across some ominous person or thing)
   • Bị giông cả năm
     To have a run of hard luck all through the year