lỡ dở

lỡ dở

Một dự án xây dựng bị lỡ dở giữa chừng.

Definition

  1. Adjective:

    • Unfinished / Incomplete: Describes a task, plan, or situation that has been started but not properly completed, often due to an interruption or unforeseen circumstance.
    • Failed / Aborted: Refers to something that has failed to reach its intended conclusion or has been left in an unsatisfactory, unresolved state.

  2. Adjective (emotional state):

    • Unfulfilled / Left hanging: Describes a feeling, relationship, or promise that remains incomplete or unresolved, often leading to a sense of regret or disappointment.
Usage Examples
  • Adjective:
    • Công việc còn đang lỡ dở. (The work is still unfinished.)
    • Kế hoạch du lịch của họ bị lỡ dở vì bão. (Their travel plan was aborted because of the storm.)
    • Mối tình lỡ dở của họ là chủ đề của cuốn tiểu thuyết. (Their unfulfilled love is the subject of the novel.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term often carries a connotation of惋惜 (regret) or ước giá (wishfulness) about the incomplete state. It is frequently used in narratives about missed opportunities in love, career, or life.
    • Ông ấy luôn day dứt về những ước mơ lỡ dở thời trẻ. (He is always tormented by the unfulfilled dreams of his youth.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Dở dang (adj): incomplete, unfinished. This is a very close synonym, though "lỡ dở" often implies a stronger sense of being cut short or failed.

    • Bức tranh vẫn còn dở dang. (The painting is still incomplete.)

  • Lỡ làng (adj): failed, ruined (especially of plans or expectations). This is often given as a direct synonym in monolingual dictionaries.

    • Mọi chuyện đã thành lỡ làng. (Everything has been ruined.)
Synonyms
  • Unfinished: not completed.
  • Incomplete: lacking some part.
  • Aborted: ended prematurely.
  • Unfulfilled: not carried out or achieved.
Related Idioms

  • Lỡ dở dang: This is a reinforced form emphasizing the incomplete and unsatisfactory nature of something.

    • Cuộc đời anh ta cứ lỡ dở dang mãi. (His life remains perpetually unfulfilled.)

  • Mối tình lỡ dở: a common phrase meaning "a failed/unfulfilled love affair."

    • Bài hát kể về một mối tình lỡ dở. (The song tells of a failed love affair.)