Definition

1. Verb (vulgar/slang):
   • To die; to perish; to lose one's life. This is a direct, informal, and often blunt way to say someone has died, typically in a sudden, violent, or accidental manner. It emphasizes the finality and loss of life.
   • To get killed. Often used in contexts of danger, recklessness, or accidents where death is a direct consequence.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Lái xe như vậy là muốn mất mạng à? (Driving like that, do you want to get killed?)
  • Nó suýt mất mạng trong vụ tai nạn. (He almost lost his life in the accident.)
  • Phóng nhanh vượt ẩu, mất mạng như chơi. (Speeding and recklessly overtaking, you could die just like that.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase carries a strong connotation of warning or consequence. It is frequently used in admonitions about dangerous behavior (e.g., speeding, fighting) to starkly state the possible fatal outcome.
• It is considered colloquial and can be perceived as crude or insensitive when referring to someone's death in a formal or sympathetic context.

Variants and Related Words

• Thiệt mạng (v): to be killed; to suffer loss of life. Slightly less vulgar but still informal, common in news reports about accidents or crimes.
  • Ba người thiệt mạng trong vụ hỏa hoạn. (Three people were killed in the fire.)
• Bỏ mạng (v): to die; to perish (in a distant or unfortunate place). Similar in register to "mất mạng," often with a sense of dying away from home or in vain.
  • Anh ta bỏ mạng nơi đất khách. (He perished in a foreign land.)

Synonyms

• To die: The neutral, general term.
• To perish: More formal/literary, often for multiple deaths in disasters.
• To get killed: Emphasizes death as a result of an external cause.
• To lose one's life: A more descriptive, slightly softer phrase.

Related Idioms

• Mất mạng như chơi: To die very easily; to risk death for something trivial. Used to emphasize extreme danger and foolish risk.
  • Đua xe trái phép là mất mạng như chơi. (Illegal street racing is tantamount to throwing your life away.)