Definition

Noun: * Past life, previous existence: In Buddhist and some other spiritual beliefs, this term refers to the life a person is believed to have lived before their current birth. It is part of the concept of reincarnation or the cycle of rebirth (samsara).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cô ấy tin rằng mình đã gặp chồng mình từ kiếp trước. (She believes she met her husband in a past life.)
  • Theo thuyết luân hồi, những hành động trong kiếp trước sẽ ảnh hưởng đến kiếp này. (According to the theory of reincarnation, actions in a past life will affect this current life.)
  • Anh ta nói mình có thể nhớ được kiếp trước của mình. (He says he can remember his previous existence.)

Advanced Usage

• "số phận từ kiếp trước" / "nghiệp từ kiếp trước": fate/karma from a past life.
  • Cô ấy chấp nhận khó khăn như là nghiệp từ kiếp trước. (She accepts the hardship as karma from a past life.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kiếp (n): Life, existence (often implying a cycle of birth and death), lifetime.
  • kiếp này (this life), kiếp sau (next life), luân hồi kiếp kiếp (cycle of rebirth through many lifetimes).
• Tiền kiếp (n): A synonym for "kiếp trước," also meaning past life.
• Đời trước (n): Another common synonym, literally "previous life/existence."

Synonyms

• Past life: (Cuộc) sống trước đây, đời trước.
• Previous existence: Sự tồn tại trước đó.

Related Idioms

• Oan gia kiếp trước: A foe/enemy from a past life; used to describe someone with whom one has constant, seemingly predestined conflict.
  • Hai đứa nó cứ cãi nhau suốt, như oan gia kiếp trước vậy. (Those two are always arguing, like foes from a past life.)

noun

1. past life