Definition

1. Verb:

   • To waste: To use or expend carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose. It implies a loss or reduction of resources, effort, or time without achieving a corresponding benefit.

2. Noun:

   • Waste: The act of wasting or the state of being wasted; the loss or inefficient use of something valuable.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Quản lý tồi thì hao phí lao động. (Poor management wastes labor.)
  • Đừng hao phí thời gian vào những việc vô ích. (Don't waste time on useless things.)
• Noun:
  • Sự hao phí năng lượng trong tòa nhà này là rất lớn. (The energy waste in this building is enormous.)
  • Chúng ta cần giảm thiểu hao phí nguyên liệu. (We need to minimize material waste.)

Advanced Usage

• "hao phí vô ích": to waste fruitlessly, to squander.
  • Dự án thất bại dẫn đến hao phí vô ích nguồn vốn. (The project's failure led to a fruitless waste of capital.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lãng phí (v/n): A close synonym meaning to waste/wastefulness, often with a stronger connotation of extravagance or negligence.

  • Lãng phí thức ăn là không nên. (Wasting food is not good.)

• Tiêu hao (v): To consume, to use up. This word is more neutral and focuses on the process of depletion, not necessarily implying waste.

  • Động cơ tiêu hao nhiều nhiên liệu. (The engine consumes a lot of fuel.)

Synonyms

• Squander: To waste something, especially money or time, in a reckless or foolish manner.
• Dissipate: To waste or fritter away money, energy, or resources.
• Expend fruitlessly: To use up without any useful result.

Related Idioms

• Hao phí sức lực: To waste one's strength/effort.

  • Thuyết phục anh ta chỉ là hao phí sức lực. (Persuading him is just a waste of effort.)

• Hao tiền tốn của: To waste money and property (a common four-word idiom).

  • Xây công trình không dùng đến là hao tiền tốn của. (Building an unused facility is a waste of money and assets.)

1. Waste
   • Quản lý tồi thì hao phí lao động
     Without a good management, labour will be wasted