Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To vanish without a trace: The primary meaning of "mất tăm" is to disappear completely, leaving no information about one's whereabouts or fate. It implies a sudden and total disappearance.
   • To be lost to sight; to go missing: It describes a state where someone or something has gone away and all contact or knowledge of them has been cut off.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Nó đi công tác nước ngoài rồi mất tăm. (He went on a business trip abroad and then vanished without a trace.)
  • Chiếc máy bay mất tăm trên biển. (The airplane disappeared over the sea.)
  • Cậu ấy chuyển nhà và mất tăm luôn. (He moved house and was lost to sight.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a connotation of mystery, worry, or finality regarding the disappearance.
• It can be used figuratively for non-physical things, such as hopes or information.
  • Mọi hy vọng đã mất tăm. (All hope has vanished.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mất tích (verb phrase): to be missing, to disappear (often used in official contexts like reports).

  • Cảnh sát đang tìm người đàn ông mất tích. (The police are looking for the missing man.)

• Biến mất (verb): to disappear, to vanish.

  • Cô ấy biến mất trong đám đông. (She disappeared into the crowd.)

Synonyms

• To vanish: to disappear suddenly and completely.
• To disappear without a trace: to be lost with no clues left behind.
• To go missing: to become lost or absent.

Related Idioms

• Mất tăm mất tích: This is an intensified form, combining "mất tăm" and "mất tích" for emphasis, meaning "to vanish completely and be missing."
  • Anh ta đã mất tăm mất tích từ năm ngoái. (He has been completely missing since last year.)