mất mát
Definition
Noun:
- Loss, deprivation: The state or fact of losing something or someone valuable, often permanently. It refers to the absence or disappearance of what was once possessed.
- Damage, detriment: A reduction in quantity, quality, or value, resulting in a negative impact.
Verb (less common):
- To lose, to suffer loss: To experience the action of losing something.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Chiến tranh gây ra nhiều mất mát về người và của. (War causes many losses in lives and property.)
- Cô ấy vẫn chưa vượt qua nỗi đau mất mát. (She has not yet overcome the pain of loss.)
- Verb:
- Công ty đã mất mát một khoản tiền lớn. (The company lost a large sum of money.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used in abstract, emotional, or significant contexts, such as personal grief, historical events, or major accidents, rather than for trivial everyday losses.
- "sự mất mát": The nominalized form "sự mất mát" is very common and emphasizes the state or concept of loss.
- Sự mất mát này là không thể bù đắp. (This loss is irreplaceable.)
Variants and Related Words
- Mất (v): to lose, to be missing. This is the core, more general verb.
- Tôi bị mất ví. (I lost my wallet.)
- Thiệt hại (n): damage, loss (often material or financial).
- Thiệt hại sau cơn bão là rất lớn. (The damage after the storm was enormous.)
- Tổn thất (n): loss, casualty (often formal, used in reports for human, material, or strategic losses).
- Tổn thất sau trận đánh rất nặng nề. (The casualties after the battle were severe.)
Synonyms
- Loss: the fact or process of losing something.
- Deprivation: the lack or denial of something considered essential.
- Detriment: the state of being harmed or damaged.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Mất mát đau thương: painful and grievous loss.
- Trận động đất để lại nhiều mất mát đau thương. (The earthquake left behind many painful losses.)
- Chịu mất mát: to bear/accept a loss.
- Chúng tôi buộc phải chịu mất mát này. (We are forced to accept this loss.)