hảo sự
Definition
- Noun:
- A good thing, a fortunate event: "Hảo sự" refers to a positive occurrence, a beneficial matter, or a piece of good news.
- A good deed: It can also mean an act of kindness or a virtuous action.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Đây quả là một hảo sự cho cả cộng đồng. (This is truly a good thing for the whole community.)
- Anh ấy luôn làm nhiều hảo sự để giúp đỡ mọi người. (He always does many good deeds to help people.)
Advanced Usage
- "hảo sự lâm môn": Good things come to the door. This is a set phrase expressing the arrival of good fortune or happy events.
- Chúc bạn hảo sự lâm môn trong năm mới. (I wish you good things coming to your door in the new year.)
Variants and Related Words
- Hảo (adj): Good, fine, kind. This is the Sino-Vietnamese root meaning "good".
- Sự (n): Thing, matter, event. A nominalizer often used to form abstract nouns from verbs or adjectives.
- Việc tốt (n): Good deed, good thing. A common synonym using pure Vietnamese words.
- Chuyện tốt (n): Good story, good matter. Another common synonym.
Synonyms
- Việc tốt: Good deed.
- Chuyện hay: Good/interesting story/matter.
- Điều tốt lành: A good/benevolent thing.
- Phúc sự: A fortunate/blessed event (less common, more literary).
Notes on Meaning
- Primary Meaning: The most common contemporary meaning is "a good thing" or "a fortunate event." It often carries a slightly formal or literary tone.
- Secondary Meaning: The meaning of "a good deed" is derived from the literal combination of "hảo" (good) and "sự" (deed/matter). This usage is less frequent in modern casual speech but is still understood.
- Usage Context: The word is often used in formal congratulations, well-wishing, or when commenting on positive developments. It is not typically used for trivial daily matters.