mất gốc

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Rootless / Uprooted: Describes a person who has lost or severed their connection to their ancestral homeland, cultural origins, or foundational identity.
   • Without foundation / Lacking basic knowledge: In an educational context, describes a state of having forgotten or never having learned the fundamental principles of a subject.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ta cảm thấy mất gốc sau nhiều năm sống ở nước ngoài. (He feels rootless after many years living abroad.)
  • Học sinh đó bị mất gốc toán nên không theo kịp bài. (That student has lost the basics of math, so he cannot keep up with the lesson.)
  • Những kẻ phản bội đó thực sự là mất gốc. (Those traitors are truly uprooted from their origins.)

Advanced Usage

• Cultural and Social Context: The term often carries a strong negative moral judgment, implying a loss of traditional values, patriotism, or filial piety.
  • Bị coi là mất gốc là một điều sỉ nhục trong văn hóa của họ. (Being considered rootless is a disgrace in their culture.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mất gốc tiếng Anh (adj. phrase): to have forgotten/lost the basics of English.
  • Tôi cần học lại vì tôi bị mất gốc tiếng Anh. (I need to restudy because I have lost my English foundation.)

Synonyms

• Uprooted: Removed from one's native cultural or social environment.
• Deracinated: (Formal) Uprooted from one's natural environment.
• Alienated: Experiencing a sense of isolation from a group or tradition.
• Foundationally weak: Lacking basic knowledge or skills.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Mất gốc mất rễ: (lit. to lose both roots and stems) An intensified phrase emphasizing a complete and profound loss of origin and connection.
  • Cộng đồng đó lo sợ thế hệ trẻ sẽ trở nên mất gốc mất rễ. (That community fears the younger generation will become completely rootless.)