Definition

1. Phrase:
   • For one's entire life; until the end of one's days: This phrase indicates a duration lasting the whole of a person's lifetime. It emphasizes a permanent state, a lifelong condition, or an action/feeling that persists until death.
   • For life; lifelong: It can describe a situation, position, or status that is irrevocable and lasts until the end of one's life.

Usage Examples

• Phrase:
  • Ông ấy sẽ mang vết sẹo này mãn đời. (He will bear this scar for his entire life.)
  • Lời hứa đó tôi sẽ ghi nhớ mãn đời. (I will remember that promise until the end of my days.)
  • Anh ta bị kết án tù mãn đời. (He was sentenced to life imprisonment.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is often used in formal, literary, or solemn contexts to underscore the absolute and unchangeable nature of a circumstance over a human lifespan. It conveys a sense of finality and permanence.

Variants and Related Words

• Trọn đời (phrase): for one's whole life, all one's life. Similar in meaning but can sometimes feel slightly less absolute than "mãn đời".

  • Ông ấy phục vụ trọn đời cho công ty. (He served the company all his life.)

• Suốt đời (phrase): throughout one's life.

  • Bà ấy suốt đời hy sinh vì con cái. (She sacrificed for her children throughout her life.)

Synonyms

• For life: Lasting or valid for the duration of a person's life.
• Lifelong: Lasting or continuing through one's life.
• Until one's dying day: For the remainder of one's life.

Related Idioms

• Mãn đời mãn kiếp: An intensified form emphasizing "for this entire life and entire existence," often used in promises or curses.
  • Tôi nguyện trung thành với ngài mãn đời mãn kiếp. (I vow to be loyal to you for this life and all existences.)