Definition

1. Verb phrase: - To cry out to Heaven/God for mercy or help: This phrase describes the act of shouting or crying out loudly, imploring Heaven or God for assistance, relief, or mercy, often in a state of extreme distress, injustice, or helplessness.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Bị oan ức, anh ấy chỉ biết la trời. (Wronged, he could only cry out to Heaven.)
  • Người dân vùng lũ la trời vì mất hết nhà cửa. (The flood victims cried out to God for help, having lost all their homes.)
  • Hắn la trời kêu đất khi biết mình bị lừa. (He cried out to Heaven and Earth when he found out he was deceived.)

Advanced Usage

• This phrase is often used in a figurative or exclamatory sense to express extreme frustration, despair, or a sense of utter helplessness when facing an overwhelming situation, even if the speaker is not literally religious.
  • Bài toán này khó quá, tôi muốn la trời! (This math problem is so hard, I want to cry out to Heaven!)
• It can be part of a larger, more dramatic expression like "la trời kêu đất" (to cry out to Heaven and Earth), which intensifies the sense of pleading and desperation.

Variants and Related Words

• Than trời (verb phrase): To complain to Heaven; to lament one's fate. This has a slightly more subdued, sorrowful tone compared to the more desperate and loud "la trời."
• Kêu trời (verb phrase): To call out to Heaven/God. Very similar in meaning and often interchangeable with "la trời," though "kêu" can sometimes imply a slightly less frantic call than "la" (which means to shout/yell).
• Cầu cứu (verb): To call for help, to send an SOS. This is a more general term for seeking help, not specifically invoking a divine entity.

Synonyms

• Kêu gào (verb): To wail, to cry out loudly (in pain or distress). This shares the sense of loud vocal distress but lacks the specific religious or imploring connotation of "la trời."
• Cầu khẩn (verb): To beseech, to implore earnestly. This emphasizes the pleading aspect but is not necessarily loud or directed specifically at Heaven.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• La trời kêu đất: (To cry out to Heaven and Earth). An intensified version of "la trời," expressing the utmost desperation and desire for justice or help from any higher power.
  • Bà mẹ la trời kêu đất khi đứa con bị bắt oan. (The mother cried out to Heaven and Earth when her child was wrongly arrested.)

1. Cry to God for mercy (for help)