luống những
Definition
- Adverb phrase:
- In vain, to no avail, fruitlessly: Expresses that an action, effort, or waiting is done without achieving the desired result, often implying wasted effort or time.
- Only, merely, just (to do something in vain): Often used to emphasize that an action results in nothing but a futile state or feeling.
Usage Examples
- Adverb phrase:
- Tin sương luống những rày mong mai chờ. (Waiting for vague news, day after day, all in vain.)
- Nó luống những lo lắng mà chẳng giải quyết được gì. (He/She merely worried fruitlessly without solving anything.)
- Cô ấy luống những chờ đợi một cuộc gọi không bao giờ đến. (She waited in vain for a call that never came.)
Advanced Usage
- "luống những" + Verb/Verb Phrase: This structure is classical and literary. It directly modifies the verb to emphasize the futility of the action.
- Luống những công đâu! (All that effort for nothing!)
- Đêm ngày luống những âm thầm. (Day and night, [she] secretly [thought/waited] in vain.)
Variants and Related Words
- Luống công (ph.): To waste one's effort.
- Anh ấy đã luống công cố gắng thuyết phục họ. (He wasted his effort trying to persuade them.)
- Luống (động từ, văn chương): To till, to plough (a field). This is the original verb meaning, showing how "luống những" evolved from the idea of expending labor.
- Chỉ là, hóa ra chỉ là: Are more modern, less literary phrases sometimes conveying a similar sense of futile result (e.g., - It turned out all my worries were in vain.)
Synonyms
- Vô ích: In vain, useless.
- Tốn công vô ích: To waste effort.
- Chẳng được gì: To gain nothing (from an effort).
Notes on Meaning and Usage
- Register: "Luống những" belongs to a literary and classical register. It is commonly found in poetry (like "Truyện Kiều"), old literature, or formal writing. It is rarely used in everyday spoken Vietnamese.
- Nuance: It carries a tone of regret, lament, or gentle complaint about wasted time, effort, or emotion. It often describes prolonged, anxious, or hopeful actions that ultimately lead to nothing.
- Structure: It typically precedes the verb phrase it modifies. The reference example "" is a poetic inversion where the time phrase ("Đêm ngày") comes first for emphasis.