Definition

1. Verb:
   • To relieve sadness, to dispel melancholy, to alleviate sorrow: "giải sầu" describes the action of doing something to make a sad, melancholic, or sorrowful mood less intense or to make it go away completely.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy nghe nhạc để giải sầu. (He listens to music to relieve his sadness.)
  • Một chuyến du lịch ngắn ngày có thể giúp giải sầu hiệu quả. (A short trip can effectively help dispel melancholy.)
  • Cô ấy tìm đến bạn bè mỗi khi cần giải sầu. (She turns to her friends whenever she needs to alleviate her sorrow.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is often used in literary or slightly formal contexts to describe a conscious effort to overcome a state of sadness. It implies an active search for solace or distraction.
• It can be used reflexively (for oneself) or for someone else.
  • Uống chén trà nóng giải sầu. (Drinking a hot cup of tea to soothe one's sorrows.)
  • Anh ấy kể chuyện cười để giải sầu cho bạn. (He tells jokes to cheer up his friend / to dispel his friend's melancholy.)

Variants and Related Words

• Giải buồn (verb): A more common and colloquial synonym with the same meaning (to relieve boredom/sadness).
• Giải phiền (verb): To relieve worry, to dispel troubles. While similar, it focuses more on worries and troubles than deep sadness.
• Khuây khỏa (verb/adjective): To find relief/distraction (from grief/sadness); to be comforted, consoled. Often used in the phrase "làm khuây khỏa" (to comfort).
• Sầu (noun): Literary word for deep sadness, melancholy, sorrow.

Synonyms

• Làm vơi bớt nỗi buồn: To lessen the sadness.
• Xua tan nỗi buồn: To chase away the sadness.
• An ủi: To comfort, to console (often from an external source).

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Giải sầu bằng rượu: To drown one's sorrows in alcohol.
  • Đừng nên giải sầu bằng rượu, nó chỉ làm mọi thứ tệ hơn. (You shouldn't drown your sorrows in alcohol; it only makes things worse.)
• Cầm kỳ thi họa để giải sầu: (A classical four-art phrase: music, chess, poetry, painting) To engage in refined arts and hobbies to dispel melancholy.
  • Cụ ông sống một mình, lấy cầm kỳ thi họa để giải sầu. (The old man lives alone, using music, chess, poetry, and painting to relieve his solitude/sadness.)

1. như giải phiền