lưu ly
Definition
- Noun:
- Vagrancy; a state of wandering away from home due to poverty and hardship. This is the primary and classical literary meaning, describing a condition of being displaced and living in destitution.
- A precious stone (lapis lazuli); a deep blue color. This is a less common, borrowed meaning from the Chinese term for the gemstone, sometimes used in poetic or compound words.
Usage Examples
- Noun (state of wandering):
- Cuộc sống lưu ly của những người tị nạn thật đáng thương. (The vagrant life of the refugees is truly pitiful.)
- Sau chiến tranh, nhiều gia đình sống cảnh lưu ly. (After the war, many families lived a life of displaced hardship.)
- Noun (gem/color):
- Chiếc bình được làm từ ngọc lưu ly. (The vase was made from lapis lazuli.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "lưu ly" is primarily used in formal, literary, or poetic contexts to evoke a sense of tragic displacement and sorrow. It is not common in everyday spoken language.
Variants and Related Words
- Lưu lạc (v): to wander, to live away from home in difficult circumstances. This is a more frequently used synonym for the "wandering" aspect.
- Ông ấy đã nhiều năm lưu lạc ở xứ người. (He has wandered in a foreign land for many years.)
- Phiêu bạt (v): to drift, to lead a wandering life. Often used similarly to "lưu ly."
- Số phận phiêu bạt của những đứa trẻ mồ côi. (The drifting fate of orphaned children.)
Synonyms
- Vagrancy: the state of living a life of wandering without a home.
- Displacement: being forced to leave one's home.
- Destitution: extreme poverty.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Lưu ly tha hương: to wander and suffer in a foreign land.
- Câu chuyện kể về kiếp lưu ly tha hương. (The story tells of a life wandering in exile.)
- Nước mắt lưu ly: tears of profound sorrow and displacement.
- Bà kể lại chuyện xưa với nước mắt lưu ly. (She recounted the old story with tears of profound sorrow.)