hành xác
Definition
- Verb:
- To mortify one's body: To subject one's own body to harsh treatment, deprivation, or physical suffering, often for religious, ascetic, or self-disciplinary purposes.
- To torture oneself (figuratively): To engage in extremely demanding or unpleasant activities that cause physical or mental strain.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Một số nhà tu hành thời xưa thường hành xác để tìm kiếm sự giác ngộ. (Some monks in ancient times often mortified their bodies to seek enlightenment.)
- Làm việc liên tục 16 tiếng mỗi ngày không phải là chăm chỉ, đó là hành xác. (Working continuously for 16 hours a day is not diligence, it's torturing oneself.)
- Anh ấy hành xác bản thân bằng chế độ tập luyện khắc nghiệt. (He mortifies himself with a harsh training regimen.)
Advanced Usage
- The term often carries a critical or negative connotation when used in modern, non-religious contexts, implying that the action is excessive, unnecessary, or harmful.
- Đừng có hành xác bản thân với những chế độ ăn kiêng vô lý như vậy. (Don't torture yourself with such unreasonable diets.)
Variants and Related Words
- Sự hành xác (Noun): The act of mortification; self-mortification.
- Sự hành xác của anh ấy không mang lại kết quả tốt cho sức khỏe. (His self-mortification did not yield good health results.)
Synonyms
- Hành hạ (bản thân): To torture/ torment (oneself). (Often implies causing suffering, can be used more broadly.)
- Tự khổ hạnh: To practice asceticism. (More formal, specifically refers to religious or spiritual self-discipline.)
Related Phrases / Idioms
- While "hành xác" itself is typically used as a standalone verb phrase, it conceptually relates to the idea of extreme self-discipline or self-punishment. There is no direct equivalent phrasal verb in Vietnamese, as the meaning is contained within the single compound word.
-
Mortify one's body
