Definition

1. Verb Phrase:
   • To lose one's way; to get lost: To become unable to find the correct direction or path to a destination.
   • To go astray; to be on the wrong path: Can be used literally for physical travel or figuratively to describe being misguided in life, morals, or decisions.

Usage Examples

• Literal:
  • Trời tối và chúng tôi hoàn toàn lạc đường. (It was dark and we were completely lost.)
  • Nếu không có bản đồ, bạn rất dễ lạc đường trong khu rừng này. (Without a map, you can easily lose your way in this forest.)
• Figurative:
  • Anh ấy cảm thấy mình đã lạc đường trong sự nghiệp. (He felt he had gone astray in his career.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase can be used in a passive construction with "bị" to emphasize an unintended or unfortunate situation.
  • Đứa trẻ bị lạc đường trong siêu thị. (The child got lost in the supermarket.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đi lạc (v): to wander off and get lost. Often used for a person, especially a child, who has strayed.
  • Con bé đã đi lạc ở công viên. (The little girl wandered off and got lost in the park.)

Synonyms

• To get lost: The most common general synonym.
• To go astray: Often used for figurative meanings.
• To lose one's bearings: To become disoriented.

Related Idioms

• Lạc lối: A more literary or emotional synonym for "lạc đường," strongly implying a sense of confusion and loss of direction, often in life.
  • Sau biến cố, ông ấy cảm thấy lạc lối. (After the incident, he felt lost/astray.)

1. Lose one's way, go astray