hư sinh
Definition
- Noun:
- A useless or unproductive life: Refers to an existence perceived as having no value, purpose, or positive contribution to society. It carries a classical or literary tone, often implying idleness, wastefulness, or a lack of meaningful achievement.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông ấy tự cho cuộc đời mình là một kiếp hư sinh. (He considers his life to be a useless existence.)
- Trong tác phẩm, nhân vật chính than vãn về thân phận hư sinh. (In the work, the main character laments his fate as a worthless life.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily found in classical Vietnamese literature, philosophical discourse, or poetic expressions to critique a life devoid of social or moral contribution.
Variants and Related Words
- Hư vô (n): nihilism, nothingness. A philosophical concept, distinct from which focuses on the quality of a life.
- Vô ích (adj): useless, futile. An adjective describing something without use, related in meaning but not a direct variant.
Synonyms
- Worthless existence: A life without value.
- Fruitless life: A life yielding no positive results.
- Idle life: A life spent in inactivity.
Related Idioms
- Sống hoài sống phí: To live wastefully, to squander one's life. This idiom conveys a similar idea of an unproductive life but in more colloquial terms.
- Anh ta chơi bời không lo làm ăn, đúng là sống hoài sống phí. (He parties without working, truly living a wasteful life.)