Definition

1. Verb:
   • To feel nostalgic for / to longingly remember: To experience a sad, wistful affection or sorrow when thinking about something from the past that is lost or can no longer be enjoyed. It emphasizes a deep, emotional attachment and a sense of loss.
   • To deeply regret / to rue: To feel profound sorrow, disappointment, or a sense of waste about a past event, opportunity, or state that is gone.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Ông ấy luôn luyến tiếc thời thơ ấu. (He always longingly remembers his childhood.)
  • Cô ấy luyến tiếc những cơ hội đã bỏ lỡ. (She deeply regrets the missed opportunities.)
  • Chúng tôi luyến tiếc một thời đại đã qua. (We feel nostalgic for a bygone era.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often conveys a poetic or profound sense of loss, more intense than simple remembrance ("nhớ") and more sorrowful than mere fondness ("thích").
• It can be used to describe regret over intangible things like time, youth, or past happiness, not just physical objects.

Variants and Related Words

• Luyến lưu (v): to be reluctant to leave, to linger due to attachment.
  • Họ luyến lưu không muốn chia tay. (They lingered, reluctant to part.)
• Tiếc nuối (v/n): to regret, a feeling of regret. This is a close synonym but can sometimes feel slightly less poetic or deep than "luyến tiếc".
  • Anh ấy cảm thấy tiếc nuối về quyết định của mình. (He feels regret about his decision.)

Synonyms

• To yearn for: To have a strong, often melancholic desire for something, especially something lost.
• To pine for: To suffer a mental and physical decline, especially because of a broken heart or longing.
• To rue: To bitterly regret (a past event or action).
• To feel wistful about: To have a feeling of vague or regretful longing.

Related Idioms

• Luyến tiếc quá khứ: To be stuck in the past / to dwell on the past.
  • Đừng mãi luyến tiếc quá khứ, hãy nhìn về tương lai. (Don't dwell on the past forever; look to the future.)
• Luyến tiếc tuổi thanh xuân: To long for one's lost youth.
  • Bà ấy thường luyến tiếc tuổi thanh xuân của mình. (She often longs for her lost youth.)

1. longingly remember
   • luyến tiếc thời thơ ấu
     To longinngly remember one's chidhood